


Sometimes the DM needs a healer too

by extPec



Series: The AU where Shiro is a DM [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (oh that wasnt a tag), (sorry), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuddling & Snuggling, DnD AU, Domestic Fluff, Flirting, Fluff, Gay Disaster Keith (Voltron), Gay Disaster Shiro (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Kissing, Lots of kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Neck Kissing, Not in a kinky way, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Right?, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Shiro is the Dungeon Master, Sick Keith (Voltron), Sick Shiro (Voltron), Sickfic, Slice of Life, Slow pace narration, This would enter in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-01 14:11:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17868773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extPec/pseuds/extPec
Summary: I’m sorry guys we’ll have to report the game to next week ): I caught something nasty. Sorry for the last-minute change.no worries, itll force me to work on my thesis :’)-Pidge*gasps* didnt know you could get sick! ill start to believe you might be human just yet. maybe. take care!-LanceI hope you’ll get better soon! xxx-AlluraAwh, we understand, don’t worry! See you next week!-HunkTakashi looks at all the messages, heart warming up as he smiles. He’s lying on his bed, wrapped up in a blanket, a box of tissues right beside him. His head is pounding viciously, and the light of his screen is not helping. He puts his cellphone down.He pauses, stares at the ceiling, and picks it up again, looking at his messages. Keith hasn’t answered. Maybe he’s working? Hmm. He should’ve finished his shift by now. Not that Shiro knows his schedule by heart, it’s just that it doesn’t really change, so it isn’t hard to memorize, that’s all.* * * * *Or Shiro gets a cold and Keith comes to his rescue.





	1. Chapter 1

It begins when Shiro texts the whole gang to say he has to cancel their game tomorrow. Everyone has received the same group message, which says:

_I’m sorry guys we’ll have to report the game to next week ): I caught something nasty. Sorry for the last-minute change._

And they all send back various answers, that only Shiro can read. 

_no worries, itll force me to work on my thesis :’)_ -Pidge  
_i didnt know you could get sick mr. DM. ill start to believe you might be human just yet. maybe. take care!_ -Lance  
_I hope you’ll get better soon! xxx_ -Allura  
_Awh, we understand, don’t worry! See you next week!_ -Hunk 

Takashi looks at all the messages, heart warming up as he smiles. He’s lying on his bed, wrapped up in a blanket, a box of tissues right beside him. His head is pounding viciously, and the light of his screen is not helping. He puts his cellphone down. 

He pauses, stares at the ceiling, and picks it up again, looking at his messages. Keith hasn’t answered. Maybe he’s working? Hmm. He should’ve finished his shift by now. Not that Shiro knows his schedule by heart, it’s just that it doesn’t really change, so it isn’t hard to memorize, that’s all. 

Minutes turn into hours, and the Shiro just… lies there. His headache has slightly faded thanks to the Advils he took, but his whole body still feel rusty, and the pressure behind his eyes and nose hasn’t diminished at all. Ugh. He doesn’t have time for that! The pathetic groan he lets out only reminds him that his throat feels like someone stuck a knife in it. He coughs, and it another blade strikes it. Great. 

There’s a knock on his apartment door. 

No, he’s not getting up right now. Whoever wants to sell him something can fuck off, please. 

They keep knocking. For a whole minute. 

“Shiro, I know you’re there and not sleeping. You liked Kosmo’s picture on Instagram ten minutes ago.” …Keith?

Groaning, he rolls off his bed, still wrapped in the blanket, and makes his way to the door, before unlocking it. 

Keith, all wrapped up in winter clothes pushes the door open, right after that. He doesn’t look mad about waiting, but there is a little frown right under his red wooly hat. He’s holding two bags that he quickly puts down as soon as he gets inside. 

With no sense of personal space, the smaller of the two takes his mitts and hat off, and rises a hand on Shiro’s jaw, cupping it gently. Then, his other hand does the same thing, on the opposite jaw, and he softly brings the taller man’s head down. He looks up and presses his forehead against his friend’s. 

“You’re burning up…” he mumbles, still frowning. “Have you eaten yet?” Keith asks, as he lets go of Shiro.

“… no.” The man admits, without saying he didn’t feel like preparing anything, nor like putting anything in this painful throat of his.

“Good! ‘cause Hunk has made you chicken and noodles soup.” Keith says.

Oh. Well. 

Keith takes his jacket off, and walks to the kitchen, taking his two bags along. Shiro follows him. Then, he reaches down one of them and pulls out a sizable thermos.

“Even if you’re not hungry, you should try to eat a bit. Or else cells fighting for your health won’t have enough energy~ or something like that. Pidge’s words, not mine.” Keith starts.

“Speaking of Pidge, she wanted me to tell you that she sent you the super relaxing game she’d been telling you about. The one where you’re floating in space and just discovering planets? It’s in your Steam account. An early birthday gift,” he explains, his frown slowly loosening into something softer. He gives the thermos to Shiro and reaches down the bag again. He holds out three lotions.

“From Lance. Eeerh… he told me that this one was… hmm. For dry skin or something? Oh, thanks God he made sticky notes.” He sighs in relief, when he turns one of the bottles to find said note, which is explaining in detail which lotion comes first, and how they’ll help him with his cold. Or, well, how it will help keep his skin fresh and beautiful even if he has cold-induced dry skin.

Keith puts them on the table and turns toward his second bag, before pulling out from it what looks like a very thick and plushy folded blanket. It’s pink. Keith can’t help but impulsively rub it against his face for a second. “So soft…” he mumbles, then looks up at Shiro and, well, has the decency to look slightly embarrassed. 

“This is from Allura. She said it would keep you cozy, but that you-“ he stops, and looks away, with a short, almost nervous chuckle. Their mutual friend’s words had been _‘Tell him it will keep him warm, but that he should still share it with you because nothing beats a loving companion for coziness.’_ Words that had made a flustered mess out of Keith. 

“-Hmm. Never mind. Cozy it is,” he smiles, and his expression shifts, as he stares at his friend for a few seconds. It softens considerably, all traces of frowning disappearing. 

“You look like a mess Takashi. Go on the couch, I’ll bring you the soup in a bowl, alright?”

Shiro sniffs, tries to be subtle about it, probably fails, and nods. He's mostly still pretty much disbelieving, and keeps blinking at Keith, and very much not heading to the couch. He knows he's been burning up for a while now, but even if Keith pointed it out to him... he'd gotten used to the temperature. Just... not so much to the accompanying headache. Though, he thanks Advils for that stupid inconvenience. The burning sensation he feels in his cheeks isn't sickness-related, he's distantly aware of that.

"Takashi?" Keith repeats, his expression a mix of worry and amusement- like Shiro's lack of movement is a little bit funny, but maybe he should worry and not find it amusing. The two seconds of silence from his friend make him settle on worrying, because Shiro's face is very red. He steps into the man personal space again, and stares up into his eyes, a little frown making its way back on his face. He’s trying to see if his friend’s eyes are glossy or not. One of his hands rises to his arm.

Hm. His eyes are not glossy-- they follow Keith, and Shiro’s lips pinch together, as if this meant he could prevent germs from crossing over to his friend from between them. But his nose is too clogged up right now and he has to re-open it to breathe, and talk.

"Thank you," he finally lets out weakly, sounding breathless.

"I'll let them know your answer," Keith shows a little grin, obviously understanding that the thanking is for all the friends who brought something for their DM. 

"Come on, couch." His hand slides from Shiro's arm to his back, and settles low, as he starts guiding the taller man to his living room.

Shiro finds it easier to oblige when he's being guided. And for fuck's sake, he hates what he must look like-- cheeks flushed, hair tousled, runny nose, voice all off- Let's just say today is not the day he will charm Keith. And more than that, he's pretty sure this will set him back a while, and he's mad at himself for that. But also... doesn't have the energy to care too much. He still cares though, but the thought pushes itself to the back of his mind on its own. 

"And you," he swallows thickly, thinking some warm liquid will probably feel great. "You fetched all this from everyone...?... for me...?"

"Something like that, yeah," Keith confirms, smiling as Shiro sits. He had started by asking Hunk if he wanted to make something warm for Shiro, since he knew Shiro couldn't cook for shit. Hunk had obviously taken the task to heart. Then Pidge had seen the message on the group chat Keith had created without Shiro, and had told Keith what she would do. Then Allura and Lance joined in, and he had gone to everyone's places to pick everything up. 

He leaves the man alone for a few seconds, as he goes to the kitchen. He comes back with the soup, the blanket, and a box of tissues, that he puts right next to Shiro. He sits down too, next to his friend, with the tissue box between them. And for a moment he just looks at Shiro, with a little smile. He feels selfishly privileged to see him in such a vulnerable state.

Shiro takes a moment to blow his nose. Again, probably just... not the best sight for Keith. But he'll feel better eating if he doesn't need to breathe through his mouth to live. Though he still might. Damn. 

He catches his smile anyway, and knits his eyebrows at the other man, feeling more than overwhelmed by the attention. And no doubt the affection that carries Keith's actions. It's just... he doesn't know the nature of whatever feelings brought him to everyone's door, and then here, and he's never been good with getting too many good things in a short time, so now there's guilt clawing at him and—

"Aren't you a bit afraid you'll catch whatever I have...?" It comes out choked up. Almost a sob, and Shiro has to wipe at his eyes, and force a smile.

Keith’s hand rises to his friend’s shoulder, and he rubs it gently. 

“Nope," he answers, earnest, smiling, popping the 'p'.  
Maybe he'll catch what Shiro has. But really, he's not 'afraid' to catch it. Nothing could have stopped him from coming here.

"I'm glad to be here," he adds, a little bit more softly.

Shiro laughs, the sound croaky, sniffs, and then nods. "Okay. Thank you. Sorry I'm a complete mess," he sighs, and even that sound is uneven in the most unfair way. "I'd only allow you to witness that. Ever," he tells him, finding his gaze again, and faltering under its softness. And dammit, Keith... it's such a good expression. It's so warm, Shiro feels he should heal right under it. God. 

The words make a swarm of butterflies fly in Keith’s stomach, and he grins, trying not to show how much he's swooning. 

"I'm honored," he says, with a hint of amusement in his voice. 

"And don't apologize, I knew you were a mess before coming here. Takashi Shirogane, extraordinary DM, cancelling a game like that?" He shakes his head. "Alright, eat up before it gets cold," he points at the soup, hand leaving his friend's shoulder.

"Alright," Shiro smiles again, taking it, and ignoring how he feels about the other guy's hand leaving his shoulder. The soup. It's extraordinary. Of course it would be. Hunk made it. But it still takes the dm by surprise. Takashi hums as he eats it, and feels his mood pick up again. "Did you... want to watch a movie...?" He hopes he can keep Keith here longer that way.

He can’t suspect the younger man has actually been looking for a reason to extend his stay. His plan had been 'I want to make sure you're alright until you're asleep', but he didn’t have a way to say it that wouldn’t feel… awkward. 

"Sure. You could play Pidge's game, if you want. I could watch." Keith suggests.

"Hmm. Maybe after, then? D'rather eat soup and drink tea right now..." He picks up the remote, boots Netflix, and immediately, without a second's hesitation, puts El Dorado on. Too much of a feel-good movie to pass up. And he'll mutter along with the lyrics the entire time.

Keith smiles when Shiro isn't looking. God. He loves the man. He dares shift a little closer, even if the evil tissue box is between them and he doesn't dare move it. 

Dammit. Why did he put that there? 

Shiro’s train of thoughts follow the same line.  
Is it to keep a safe distance? But then why is he doing this to his heart- why is he shifting closer like that when all it succeeds in doing is make Shiro swoon internally? So... whatever that there's a box there. The second Shiro finishes his soup, he puts it on his lap instead of the empty bowl, which now rests on the coffee table in front of them.

The move looks weird to Keith. Shiro should at least blow his nose if he's taking the tissue box! Dammit. Now he wonders if his friend noticed he’d been shifting closer. If he did, is it… embarrassing? Keith isn't sure what's supposed to be, in their situation. 

"Want me to make some tea?" He asks, not crossing the last empty space the absence of the tissue box now makes. He gets on his feet. 

Shiro deflates a little bit. Sinks into the couch. "I'd love some," he admits. And then, lower, barely just above the action onscreen: "Then are you going to snuggle up? We can share Allura's blanket..."

Keith stares, and blinks once, just in time for his blood to rush up his cheeks. 

"Yes. I can do that." Now his voice sounds weird. He absconds to the kitchen. It takes him a good 10 seconds before he remembers he came here to do something. So, he puts water in the boiler, and puts it on the heater. 

It doesn't take long for the water to boil, merely two minutes, but it feels like the longest minutes of his life. Then he walks back with two mugs and tea, which he sets on the table in front of them. He slumps back on the couch, right next to Shiro. Reeaaaally close to Shiro. And he just… leans against him, heart hammering. 

It's- Uhh. Dammit. It's- It's a good thing there's a movie in front of them. The sound might just cover up just how hard his heart is beating. As for his funny breathing... Shiro may have just tried to clear up his nose again, he does have an excuse for that, at least. He's only stiff for a tiny moment. It isn't long at all that he's melting back against Keith, mumbling some half-assed complaint about his state, and pushing the blanket over his friend's lap as his head rests on top of the other guy's. He swallows thickly, staying eerily immobile for another moment. And then he's shifting his head, so he can press his cheek against the guy's soft hair and nuzzle it a bit. And as sure as he is that he is being exactly zero subtle, he also decides he can live with being obvious. He wishes he could smell his hair... erff.

Meanwhile, Keith feels like he is going to explode. The butterflies have turned into a hoard of hippos rushing around. He's so happy. He really, _really_ hopes it means something. His arm is a little bit cramped up between him and Shiro, so he shifts a little bit... and lowers his hand on Shiro's leg. Because it was there, obviously.

Takashi smiles and huffs against Keith's head, happy. He lets their position sink in for a moment. A moment that-- despite the movie, seems infinite. He wants to make sure they both get used to it. Lets scene after scene play out. Because as much as Keith can invade his bubble sometimes (not that he's ever complaining), moments like this one seem extremely rare. And... new. He's wrecking his mind trying to remember if his friend ever put his hand on his thigh like this. And whether or not he ever did, thinking too hard like this is making him dizzy. And so when Takashi shifts his head a tiny bit. And when he presses his lips to the top of Keith's hair, his own pulse going crazy from it... All he's thinking about is how this is a nice, safe spot to kiss.

Keith’s heart is still beating at an impressive pace. Slowly, deliberately, he dares moving his thumb against the man’s thigh. Once. Then twice, so the first time doesn’t look like an accident. 

"I have a secret," Shiro says, in hopes to cover up how flustered Keith is making him. He can feel himself swallow hard, and his eyes slide shut. He wishes there wasn't so much light in here. There is still the ghost of pressure behind his eyes, and even if his head doesn't really hurt anymore, he can almost tell where the meds kick in, and where there is a pain still throbbing in his skull. "I didn't do.... anything productive today," he chuckles weakly, body slumping in his tiny moment of mirth. And Shiro keeps laughing. Keeps weighing down on his friend, wondering how he can even be holding him up at all when he's being so careless. 

Today-- Keith's visit...? It has more value than he can tell. He won't believe it tomorrow, he knows, because he cannot even remember the last time he spent time alone with the guy. They text one-on-one, sure, but it's usually never... Anything like this. They both don't have the time. And Shiro is certain he hasn't been dropping hints. Hasn't been playing favourites. Sure- for sure, his gaze lingers sometimes... Keith is just too beautiful. He thinks his heart will break a little bit the moment the guy tells them he's got a boyfriend. But mostly... he's always told himself the only thing he'd have to mourn would be what they didn't even have a chance to explore. The time they didn't have for one another. So he'd be fine. Except maybe he wouldn't. Not when Allura looked at Shiro one day, in line to grab coffee, and planted a seed in his mind.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

_"He looks at you a whole lot, you know..." And Shiro knows. But also... he's the DM. Everyone looks at him, so he hasn't been letting himself notice it._

_"Really," he says, absentmindedly, as he looks at his options on the menu._

_"You're not paying attention. Shiro. I am talking about Keith. Crushing on you." Her voice is hard. Insistent. And Shiro is too stunned not to blink at her. "Excuse me?" he frowns._

_"Dear Lord..." she flicks her eyes to the ceiling. She's wearing her hair up today. Like most days, unless they're playing. And it uncovers her face's round features. The way her neck meets her jawline, right before her ears, where large earrings dangle from... how blue her eyes are, contrasted against her dark skin in a way that unsettles everyone she meets... and Allura is a sight to behold. Of course... only Lotor has been able to withstand how fierce she can be, though no human has ever resisted a good old crush on her upon first meeting. "Keith. Give him a call-- I don't know. I'm surprised you too didn't hit it off that way the moment you met. Honestly..."_

_Suffice to say Shiro did no such thing. But... that seed Allura planted. It was just a fraction of his day. Of that hour. Shiro changed the conversation so quickly, hoping to God his mind wouldn't get stuck on it. And then it got stuck on it, and he kept acting normally, despite the place he was carving out for Keith in his heart. Very slowly. Very deliberately. Hearing him break character to his laugh as he watched Fay dance on a table, and kick two beers with a bad roll. That one earned itself a bit of room. And the time they went into a staring contest, and Keith got Shiro to look away, making him break character. He didn't recover, and found that he was too impressed to be butthurt. And he just kept on being friendly, and making very certain he did not treat the guy any differently than the others. Because... Becauuuseee..._

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

He can't think why, now. As he regains a bit of balance, his laughter all gone. Keith is his goddamn favourite, and he hates that he hasn't spared him all of the soft glances. He hates that he didn't let him catch him looking even once. Or if he did, he would make a point to start looking at someone else for just as long. He was never cold, though. Of course not... but still, he has to wonder, how in spite of all that...

"... when did you ever get the time to get a crush on me...?" It's a murmur. So low, he wonders if the guy will miss it.

He doesn’t. Keith’s body stiffens before Shiro can even realize what he just said. 

Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

_"... when did you ever get the time to get a crush on me...?"_

Keith tenses, his breath catching in his throat. Maybe this sudden inability to speak or move is the reason he doesn’t bolt away from the man confronting him so directly. It would be a lie to say his friend’s words are not scaring him. 

He opens his mouth, and some kind of strangled now comes out a first.  
Then three, long silent seconds pass. 

"It's not like it's a full-time occupation by itself. It mixes pretty well with all the other activities where you were present," he answers, voice a little bit croaky.

"Ah, wait- Shit--" Shiro stiffens a little bit, suddenly aware of how hard his heart is beating. He knows he messed up.

"Oh no-- sorry- Keith- ahhh shit- I didn't mean to force that information out of you," he immediately beats himself up, but shifts, swallows again, and takes Keith's arms in his hands. He's rubbing them gently, either out of nervousness or because he wants to be soothing. Maybe both.

Keith feels the uneasiness rise in him, even as Shiro touches him, like he's worried his friend is going to bolt away. It _is_ a possibility, after all. Is it the part where their whole friendship breaks into pieces because of what Keith just admitted? The part where Shiro feels awkward? Is that why they’re both so tense now? 

"I skipped the whole-- the entire part where I told you how attractive you are, and that I wanted to spend more time with you, even if it's nonsense because of our schedules- but I really can't help wanting that more and more-“ his voice is raucous from his cold. 

“And then I was going to kiss you so softly, you don't even know.... Except it was going to be on your forehead because--" He sniffs. "Because I'm so sick that I'm skipping over everything, nooo..." And he leans forward, hiding his face into his friend's shoulder, blushing, embarrassed and frowning at himself. But he doesn’t want to let got. 

Keith lets out a little chuckle. He’s blushing too, at this point, and his heart is on a rampage. If Shiro is growing more embarrassed, Keith, on the other end, is progressively relaxing. Maybe he overreacted. Maybe he was right to hope? He feels better. A lot better. His shoulders are still shaking from a silent laughter as he wraps his arms around his mess of a friend.

"It's okay... you can redo that part when you'll feel better? So you'll get to tell me officially that you think I'm attractive," he says, amusement seeping in his voice. "I'd like to spend more time with you too. And not just around a table where I'm at your mercy with the whole gang, once a week," he admits, a bit more softly.

Shiro sniffs again, arms also going around Keith. "Okay," he says in answer to everything. "Although I love having you at my mercy," he grins, still against his shoulder. Then he laughs, and coughs a bit. Keith's so going to catch this.... 

Slowly, he lowers himself onto his back, pulling Keith along. He can't focus on the movie anymore, even if his eyes stay glued to the TV. His heart is full. It feels just as good to him as if he had nailed that romantic confession. He doesn’t have the energy to feel anything else. When he falls asleep halfway through, he's still cuddled up with Keith, entangled in Allura's blanket, with him.

As for Keith, it takes a while before his heart stops hammering inside his ribcage, but it eventually does. His smile does from a grin to a happy, very soft one.

He doesn't really dare leaving after Shiro falls asleep. Except he has classes at 8am, and he really shouldn't stay the whole night here. 

He tells himself he’ll leave when the movie ends. 

But when it does, and he closes the TV, he doesn’t move. The apartment is silent, except for Shiro's deep not-so-quiet breathing. His nose sounds clogged, poor him. Maybe he should wake him up? He’d surely be more comfortable in bed. However, Keith also knows how much it sucks to try to fall asleep while being sick. Hmm. 

He turns his head and shifts a little bit, his nose brushing against Shiro’s collarbone. The man’s arms are still around him and it’s… nice. He’ll wait a bit, then, see if he wakes up by himself. 

He doesn't, and Keith’s eyes are getting heavier and heavier as well. He gets his phone out of his pocket, sets an alarm at six in the morning, and falls into the arms of Morpheus. 

 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 

Keith wakes up within the first two notes of his alarm, and promptly closes it. Shiro’s still deeply asleep, and his relaxed arms are easy to gently unwrapped from him. 

He gets up as quietly as possible, and for a moment, takes the time to look at the sleeping man with a soft smile. There is a little bit of saliva on the corner of his parted lips, and he’s pretty sure there’s some dry snot under his nose. 

And yet, Keith has never been more infatuated. He remembers Takashi’s words from the night before, and cannot help himself when he leans toward the sleeping figure, and brushes his lips on his forehead, like Shiro had said he wanted to do, the night before. Ha. He beat him to it. 

Concentrating in class is going to be hard today. 

 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 

Keith- _hey Takashi I hope you'll feel a bit less crappy this morning. sorry I had to go, Iverson's classes are horrible to miss. I finish at 15h but text me if you get worse, alright? and I mean it. you better not have 103° of fever by the time I come back, or I'll be mad. drink a lot of water and eat._

Keith- _im assuming its okay to come back? its alright if its not ahha no worries._

 

Shiro- _I heated up the tea you made in the microwave, thank you again ♡ I hope your phone isnt on solent  
thY fck I hope your phone is on silent _

_Don't be sorry you had to go, by the way I could give you a hundred reasons that you'd have to come back for, but like... Come back just because I would enjoy that a lot? Pretty please_

Shiro- _Okay back to drinking lots of water and eating now. See you soon!_

 

Shiro is certain he should rest, but... knowing Keith is coming back later, he spends the day cleaning up and airing his place. Doing laundry, taking a shower... the whole thing. He'd almost look normal, if it weren't for his reddened nose.

 

Keith- _good (:_

 

The answer comes at noon, then nothing.  
At 16h, Shiro presumes Keith is going to arrive any moments now.  
At 16h45, he texts him. 

 

Shiro- _I made us coffee >:D _

 

No answer.  
He doesn’t insist. 

It's about 17h30 when Keith knocks at the door. As soon as Shiro opens it, the smaller man steps in, looking agitated. 

"I'm so sorry, my phone is shit and just fucking shut down on me? And Harris decided it was legit to put a revision period right after today's class, without telling us in advance, and he always gives half the exam's questions in those revisions I couldn't-“ he trails off, taking his winter hat, his mittens and coat off. 

"Then I missed the bus," he sniffs, miserable. "So I walked."

Shiro just watches him peel his layers off, mouth still slightly open as he breathes with more ease from it. The first thing he does, when Keith's put his stuff down, is stepping in and wrapping him up in a hug. He feels his friend melt in it, loosely hugging back. 

He can't believe Keith walked here in the cold. And he can't believe he came back, even if he hasn't been at his own place since yesterday. That means he's got no new clothes, no lunch, that he hasn't taken a shower, and it's getting late too-- So despite all that Keith feels went wrong, Shiro's stunned to find him here at all. 

"Hey... it's okay. Thank you so much," he tells him, and Keith hums in answer, without letting go. He doesn’t think he should be thanked, because he’s still two hours late, but he appreciates the sentiment. 

"Do you want to change? I'll let you borrow the shower if it can help make you more at ease. Get warmer a bit. You can use my soap and my shampoo. And... I'll find pajamas for you. Plus..." he chuckles. "That way, you won't leave until your hair is dry, at least." 

He's still embarrassed/thankful that Keith stayed over for a whole night yesterday. It apparently meant Shiro slept like a baby, instead of tossing and turning most of his night. He'll bring that up later though.... right now, he's got to take a little bit care of the guy.

Keith huffs. "That'd be nice, actually," he admits, as a shiver from the remaining cold runs down his spine. A warm shower sounds good. But before…

"How are you doing? You still sound like you have a cold but you don't look as bad as yesterday." He asks, pulling away from the hug. 

Shiro lets him go with more regret than ease (but again... months of not doing anything in the direction of physical rapports makes this a bit easier. Like practice with anything), and nods thoughtfully. 

"Yeah, I'm... I've been going about. Which would have been impossible a day ago. I think sleeping so much yesterday really helped." As he's talking, he's also walking into his home, finding a fresh towel for Keith to use, and telling him not to lock the door-- that he won't barge in on him, but that he will drop some clothes on the counter for him as he showers. And since he's got regular shower curtains, it's not like he'll see anything. And then as he's ready to leave Keith to his own devices, he leans on the doorframe of his bathroom, thinking he'll be brief, but that this needs to be said: "If you have homework or any assignment, please don't delay putting time on it on my behalf, okay...? I'm just happy to have you around."

“Alright,” he agrees, a soft smile making its way to his face, as affection bursts in his chest. Shiro is so thoughtful. And nice. And handsome. He's quite glad he’s feeling better too, and cannot help but hope he had a little part to play in his recuperation. Which is... well, probably not really the case, since his antibodies did all the work, but still. 

When Shiro leaves and Keith finds himself alone in the bathroom, feelings assault him. He leans against the sink, to breathe for a moment. His reflection stares back at him, with awfully red cheeks. 

He shakes his head, undresses, and gets in the shower, restless.  
His thoughts float back to the conversation they had the night before, which they haven't really spoken about yet. But Shiro had sent him a little heart by text? And he had told him he really wanted him to come back. 

Takashi probably likes him too. Right? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. He's almost shaking from excitement and.... nervousness? when he gets out. He dries himself quickly, ruffles his hair then brush them in a hurry just so they won't be too ugly. He puts on Shiro's clothes, secretly liking how large they are on him. 

Then he waits one minutes trying to calm his heart. He can hear it in his head, dammit. Deep breaths. It doesn't really work. So he gets out of the bathroom.

He finds his friend on the couch, legs crossed over the width of it, back against the armrest, and he seems relaxed. 

As he approaches though, he sees a faint blush on his face, close to where his arm rests against his forehead. When he catches his eye, Shiro's legs disentangle and he straightens up, sitting properly, his face finally going crimson. 

"Uh, oh, uh, ahem, it's.... "You're… aahh........." He was not prepared for that sight. At all.

Keith blinks, a little bit confused. But there aren't a hundred explanations for Shiro's reaction, are there? He looks at himself, then at his friend. Is he… flustered? 

A small grin appears on Keith's face, even if he's his pink cheeks are betraying what the attention makes him feel. 

"They're a bit big for me..." he comments, both hands grabbing the hem of the hoodie and rising it slightly, as to show what he means by that.  
"You think?" Shiro squeaks, one of his hands holding the bridge of his nose, where he pretends the tips of his fingers can help cool down his face. Of course, his eyes drop to where Keith's risen the shirt. Of course, that's an impulse he cannot control for shit.

The source of Shiro’s crush bites down a grin and sits on the couch as well. His expression turns slightly more neutral as he looks at him. "Do you still have a fever? You're pretty flushed." Keith says, and for a moment, Shiro wonders if he’s serious. 

He’s pretty sure he can see the ghost of a smile on the boy’s lips. Dammit Keith. 

Now Shiro digs his two palms into his eye sockets. Maybe this way, he'll behave. 

"Feels like," he says, rubbing at his eyelids a bit. "But this is your fault. One hundred percent Keith-induced fever. In my face only. Hope you're proud of yourself," he smiles, chuckles, and then lets go of his eyes to look at his friend again.

All traces of Keith’s serious face vanish into a grin. He looks ridiculously happy, and somehow, a little bit… in awe? 

"I've never seen you like this before," he points out, and realizes how true his words are as he speaks them. He's never seen Shiro blush so much, shamelessly, because of him. It's terribly flattering, and almost unbelievable.

"I know," the older man admits. "It's actually a bit vexing. But I'm vulnerable right now. And you showed up at my door. And then I realized I really, really wanted that? So, now I'm going along with it. Full speed? Mostly." Shiro never blushes, usually. 

He tsks at his players. He visibly loses patience when their jokes start covering up his narration too much. He is so aware of the impression he projects that he knows he's the epitome of self-control. He's just... naturally professional. Except that image must have crumbled to Keith's eyes by now. And Shiro isn't even trying to retrieve it.

Keith feels like he’s living History. He’s enamoured, and can’t stop grinning, so he hides it behind a fist. Then he rises halfway up on his feet, and he takes Shiro's face between his hand. He leans toward him, and kisses him... On his forehead, for the second time in 24 hours. The man grabs his wrists as he does. 

"I like it. A lot." Keith admits, after sitting back down on the couch. He gently lets go of Shiro's face.

"Okay but don't tell anyone that I can... go soft," Shiro asks, a blush making his face bright, as he still weakly holds on to Keith.

"I won't.” Keith promises, lightly, before his smile turns a little bit more amused. "Wouldn't want you to lose your authority," he jokes.

"You would not," Shiro advises severely, hands still very much loosely hung around Keith's wrists, even as he's sat down next to him now. He slides his fingers over his palms, and into his hands. Keith immediately mirrors the gesture, and their fingers are now intertwined. 

"So..." Shiro begins, eyes trained down on that little bit of them that links them, even if his favorite sight right now is that of the dark, tousled wet hair, and how Keith's shoulders seem minuscule in his too-large hoodie. 

"Uhm..." A moment passes, in which time just keeps on stretching. And then Shiro's eyes finally flick up to Keith's. "Any homework?" He isn't that courageous.

Keith grimaces. "... Yeah. Nothing for tomorrow, but... yeah I should work on them." He reluctantly answers, coming back on Earth.

"Okay, and... I realize I don't even know how you usually work... in silence or not... but hear me out: What is the closest I can stay to you, while still having you work efficiently?" He nods, looking pretty self-satisfied with his inquiry.

Keith doesn't answer immediately, caught with an internal dilemma. He bites on his lower lip, hesitating. “As close as you want. Buuut. Maybe don't... touch me?" He legitimately looks embarrassed to say it like that. It’s not that he doesn’t want Shiro’s arm to brush again his, or his hand to wrap around his, or his lips on his head… but he has little faith in his ability to stay focused if it happens.

"Yeah, of course!" Shiro says, looking pretty happy with the answer, and so, not noting Keith's embarrassment, since he finds no cause for it. 

"Do you want to stay in here or move to the kitchen, to sit down at the table...? I can work on the campaign wherever, so your pick." At least he isn't being banished to any opposite room Keith will be in, he thinks. 

"The kitchen sounds good." Keith confirms, as his friend’s words wipe away his unease. He gets up, letting go of Shiro’s hands to get his backpack, still lying by the door. 

About thirty seconds later, he's in the kitchen, already taking his books out of his bag, while Shiro starts preparing tea for both of them.

Minutes turn into hours, and Shiro is keeping his words, not bothering Keith, writing notes into a book, with a manual open on his side, as Keith scribbles none stop to solve Physics problems. 

Eventually, he puts his pen down, and looks up at Shiro.  
“How's the campaign going?"

The man takes a few seconds to finish writing down an idea, and closes the book he's writing into, as well as the manual he's got open, just in case. "Oh, you know--" he starts vaguely, and then his eyes slide up to meet Keith's, just as he smiles. "As well as it will go when you guys go through what I'm planning." His smile lessens a bit, and he frowns, mumbling: "If you even go through that part..." Though he's soon perking up. Maybe a bit prematurely. "You're not done... are you?"

Keith smiles, a few months ago, he would have never believed he’d like DnD so much, but he had really gotten into the game. However, he could never be a Dungeon Master. It's really impressive. "Not really... but I needed a small break..." He shrugs.

"Hm," Shiro agrees, mind thinking the same way it usually does. Which is to say... pretty fast. "Help me out real quick then...?" he suggests, opening his notebook again, to a page where his chicken scratch scribbling can be seen.

"Sure!" Keith visibly perks up, and glances at what Shiro’s book.

"Don't look!!" The other man laughs, his arms covering the book. "Just... close your eyes..." He waits for his friend to comply. When he does, he's heard shifting, as he uncovers the book. "And answer me these without thinking about the significance too much..." He takes a quick breath in: "Soft or poignant?"

Keith laughs, and leans back without insisting. He closes his eyes. "Poignant."  
A small hum and some scratching on the paper. "Day or night?"  
"Day."  
No sound, apart from the writing, and then again, that telling breath Shiro always takes before he speaks: "New or familiar?"  
"New." This is so random.  
There's some more silence, accompanied by some more shifting, as Shiro readjusts himself on his seat, some rapid scribbling, and then more silence. "Okay, and... active or passive?"  
"Active." Then: "Am I dooming us all?" He asks, slightly amused.

"Nah man, only Vaia," Shiro chuckles, mentioning Allura’s character, as he closes his book again.

"Alright. You can open your eyes." And his tone, in those last words, is so different from the laughing one from just before. Comes from a little bit closer. 

When Keith does, he finds Shiro has leaned over the table a bit and is looking over at him. The table is not big: he lives alone, and it isn’t the one they play one, so there isn't much distance to cover. 

Shiro lets a tiny moment pass, and even that feels too long. He can't help the way his eyes slide down to Keith's lips, and this is not his fault. He's been observing him at his leisure, and with his fucking hair and that shirt and his eyes closed and his relaxed stance... Yeah maybe it's his own fault. Dammit. But he can't be imagining the pull. He can't be imagining the invitation he reads in the way Keith looks up at him too... also lets his eyes flicker down... 

"Don't move." And it stops Keith from trying to lean closer. 

Takashi’s hand reaches up, and finds his neck.  
It feels a little bit cold against Keith’s blushing skin. 

And when Shiro leans down to press in, it's right at the corner of Keith's mouth. He keeps his lips relaxed, though closed, because well, germs... but he's like 95% sure this is safe for Keith. And he's also incorrectly certain that it'll satisfy him for a small while. Of course, he's wrong, but not entirely, because it's still pleasant to give the other guy even that little. It sets his heart into a fit, and his head feels light.

Then he pulls away and breathes again, blinking, and blushing a whole lot. But he's smiling too.

Keith barely has time to react that Shiro is pulling away. They're both tomato red now. When Keith opens his mouth to... well, maybe to say something? there's a squeaky strangled noise that comes out of it, and, welp, it's embarrassing. There's a little pause, and he tries again. "Did you aim for the corner on purpose?" He blurts out.

"It's why I asked you not to move," the man replies knowingly. There's a happy little hint to his otherwise shy expression. "Alright. Back to work?" he suggests, and he looks at Keith's tea. "Want a quick refill? Just to make it hot again?"

Another weird noise from Keith. "No, wait." He holds up a hand. "Why-" He starts, then pauses, and a look of understanding passes in his eyes. He frowns. "Is it because you're sick?" He almost sounds a little bit offended.  
"Yes," Shiro's expression falls a little bit as he notices Keith's mood. "It's... I'm kinda gross right now. I want to kiss you when I'll feel better. I'm looking forward to it so much, it's killing me." He looks a little pained, now.

Keith weights Shiro's words, then huffs. The corner of his mouth lifts up in a half smile. 

"I'm holding you to that. You better kiss me properly when you're done or I'll be mad. I'm- really looking forward to it too," he admits, with a shy chuckle. 

His hands rise to his face, hiding it for the time of a deep breath, before he lowers them back on the table. His blush has not left his cheeks. Keith is not looking at Shiro.  
"I still can't really believe this is happening." He says, almost in a mumble.

Shiro almost groans. He is well aware it’s his fault for keeping his behavior in check so much. He understands why it seems to come out of nowhere, for Keith.

"Can I help ease your thoughts on that...?" Keith's homework won't grow legs and run away after all...

Keith glances back at Shiro, bashfully. "Yeah?"

The latter clears his throat. "Okay. Remember the first time we met...?" Keith nods.

Shiro smiles. "Alright. Well, when I moved to shake your hand? I was so dazed by how you looked, that I could not tear my eyes off you. So, I never really looked at our hands? That's why I poked you in the ribs." He had passed it off as his usually having 10/10 peripheral vision, which was absolute bullshit. But he'd handled the embarrassment like a champ, because they were with the gang they'd play DnD with for so many months, and he's superb in public. And that's only the start of it. As Keith had mingled in with the gang, it had become a bit easier not to single him out. Except for exactly... every time he'd laugh really loudly. Every time he'd snort, or wheeze. Every high five they exchanged and every little thing he found he had in common with him. All of their private inside jokes. Which... Shiro shares with all his players, but he'd unfairly get a little high of satisfaction if Keith looked his way the very second he wished him to.

He relays all of this. 

“I invariably lose it when you call me Takashi. I think you picked it up from Allura doing it? But I've been extra careful not to point it out in case you'd stop."

Keith is grinning. It’s so wide again, and he tries to hide it behind his wrist, but ends up chuckling before giving up.

"Sometimes I thought… maybe there was something…?” he starts, “But you're so professional and serious when you're DMing, that it was really hard to tell. I almost felt bad for looking at you so much. I was hoping I'd catch you looking at me, maybe. Wishful thinking, you know? Then Allura told me that I should pay more attention to your behavior during breaks, or when we weren't playing. "Keith scratches the back of his head, sheepishly.

"Yeah- dammit, Allura!! She has known forever. She's impossible," Shiro whines and chuckles too. "She loved talking about you. And after a while, I was sure she was into you? Turns out... she was totally pressing my buttons. Checking for my reactions." He pauses. "Oh! Shit. But... so... you did? You paid attention during breaks...?"

"... That's funny because I was pretty sure for awhile that Allura and you were a thing, or _would be_ a thing." Keith chuckled. "But yeah, I tried."

This time, Shiro groans. The sound is long and dramatic. "She was setting us up this whole time. Wow."

"She's way too Machiavellian." Keith says, with a fond expression at the thought of their mutual friend.

"A mastermind," he rolls his eyes, but smiles too, and reaches for Keith's hand. When the guy gives it to him, he takes a moment just to hold it. Just to compare their temperatures, the size difference, and how well it fits there. But he's soon squeezing it with a: "Did you say yes to warming up your tea? I don't remember."

Keith squeezes back, heart filled with warmth. "Yes please." He says, and dutifully takes his pen back, to start working again.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Later that night, he hugs Shiro goodbye, and they both promise to see each other soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter!  
> Honestly, this has no real intrigue or plot, it's just an excuse for tooth rotting Sheith fluff.  
> Un-betaed, as usual.
> 
> Let me know what you think!  
> (Also, no, it's not over yet)


	3. Chapter 3

Their schedules are ridiculous. Every time Keith has a break, Shiro is working, or in class. Every time Shiro has a break, Keith is in class, or working. They text to each other, sure, but it still feels like torture. 

Fortunately, Game night is coming.

In the DnD group chat:

Pidge- _cant wait for tomorrooooow!!!_

Lance- _same! 18h at your place, oh great DM?_

Shiro- _Why are you even asking, Lance, my place rules and the games will always anfld forever be there. I had an extra week to prepare so be well rested, this one might last longer than usually! (But just a little.)_

Pidge- _anfld_

Allura- _anfld_

Lance- _you all have no respect._

Lance- _i can't believe you would ignore everything our amazing DM said anfld mock him like that._

Hunk- _I'm super hyped for the game!!!!_

Shiro- _Everyone who mocked my typo will get disadvantage on five rolls at random tonight. Lance, watch your back especially. Hunk... just sit there and look pretty, you're doing amazing!_

Then the man contacts Keith privately: 

Shiro- _Hey. ♡ I was decently sure you'd be at Lance's throat in the group chat. You doing okay over there?_

Keith doesn't admit he's put the group chat on silent for the evening, because looking at the screen worsens his headache. The game is the next day and is cold is _not_ getting better. But then he hears Shiro's text notification and he looks. 

Obviously, it makes him go look at the group chat, and he scoffs, before answering Shiro privately. 

Keith- _tbh that was pretty funny but i was working on homework to have a free head tomorrow so actually I didnt see it in time ♡_

It isn't really a lie. He had been working on his homework. He stopped two hours ago because his head was killing him, but those are… details. 

Shiro- _Yeah, I was laughing, but don't tell them. Lance made me chuckle the hardest. Hope you'll have finished by tomorrow then. Keep working hard! Text me if you need a break. I still haven't told you my initial thought on your eyes. And then what I think of them today ;)_  
(I'm absolutely kidding please do not let me distract you, I'm not actually that big of a sap holy fuck.)  
((But I totally still would tell you all about those thoughts if you reaaaally wanted to know ;D Because the thoughts. They are there. They're just not being shared.)) 

Meanwhile, in the general group chat. 

Allura- _I accept this. I will still kick ass no matter what._

Lance- _/gasp/ Unfair! I was defending you!_

Pidge- _you fooled no one Lance don't even try_

Hunk- _♡_

Shiro- _You all can try to bribe me now._  
Shiro- _Except Hunk. You deserve a hug._

Pidge- _pretty sure you owe me like 5 favors for the times I fixed your computer. Make it 4 now?_

Lance- _Unfair D:!!!_

Allura- _I'll bless you with my presence tomorrow /fabulous hairflip/ Jk. I'm bringing Pillsbury cookies :')_

Shiro proceeds into giving thumbs up to the ones who successfully bribe him in the group chat. Meaning: not Lance. Otherwise, he doesn’t engage in conversation much more. His attention is all back to Keith, who answered him. 

Keith- _omg I know you're a big sap inside im just always wishing to have more proof_  
Tell me about my eyes? that /sounds/ sappy af but I really wanna hear it? itll make the evening easier. Or u can just keep texting me. That'll work too. _  
Shiro- _I mean. They have this really awesome dark ring around them that I adore. And I was jealous first time I noticed. Because mine do not compare.__

___And then later, I figured... hey. Those at least you get to look at, Shiro._ _ _

___And I'm pretty sure I didn't catch what you said to me once or twice because I was distracted. Never in game though. Of course. Though you came close. It's as if... if I could attribute a charisma score to you? It'd just be so high... I can't call a specific number. Somewhere over 9000? Seems right._ _ _

___Still there? Pardon the rambling. I warned you!!_ _ _

__Keith- _charisma? (no I didn't miss the part with my eyes thank you you're amazing that /was/ sappy but you're amazing.) but what charisma?__ _

__Shiro- _Yours.__ _

__Keith- _i think I have confidence but charisma's a big word I don't think I would've gotten the title 'loner' from lance if I had charisma.__ _

__Shiro- _Hmm, well, "loner" does not subsequently mean the lack of any charisma, you know? You definitely have some, and it's really attractive. I stick to my words (;__ _

__Keith- _thanks asdjsak__ _

__Shiro- _♡__ _

__

__⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂_ _

__

__Keith had been zombie-like in his last class, and had napped during half of it, occasionally waking up to blow his nose and cough. Then he had taken the bus home, slept, and had woken up from his 17pm alarm to prepare for the game._ _

__He had almost bailed. Almost. But he hadn't told Shiro or either of his friends he was sick, and he really wanted to see the man. So he had taken two Advils, hoping his light his fever would disappear by the time he'd get to his friend's home. He had also drunk a large coffee._ _

__Despite the fever and fatigue, there’s one thought that haunts him.  
He and Shiro haven't kissed yet. And now he’s sick too, so they'll have to push their real first kiss even _further_. Keith is honestly mad about it. But hey, he isn't going to let a little cold stop him from seeing his friends, right? _ _

__So, yeah, it's about 17h55, on the next day, when Keith climbs the stairs to Shiro’s apartment, while blowing his nose. It's not a terribly cold winter day, but he's still swaddled in his scarf, winter coat, hat and mitts._ _

__He knocks at it before letting himself in, as they all usually do during Game night. Allura Pidge and Lance are already there. Hunk is surely on his way. He takes off all of his winter attire, and hopes his red nose and cheeks appear to come from the cold air._ _

__"Keith!" Katie exclaims as a welcome._ _

__"Hey Pidge," he smiles, and winces internally at how he sounds. His voice is rough from the coughing, with a mix of stuffed nose into it._ _

__Keith has a cold, and everyone can tell immediately. Lance doesn't react, and Allura gives both her friends a look. She's heard Shiro's freak-out the preceding week. About how he felt he had lacked tact, and romance, when Keith had come over to take care of him._ _

___"You know me!! I would have built suspense! I would have given him hints, been self-conscious, let him guess. And then I just said 'bluh bluh bluh since when do you like me anyway' without a prompt! I passed off as so conceited, Lura! I could have given him little gifts! Pretended they were thoughtless or insignificant when they were meaningful. I fancy myself a mastermind, and then I go and do shit like that..."_ _ _

___"Oh God, breathe, Takashi. From what I hear, you've done well. For the amount of time you've been pinning anyway, it was bound to all burst out at once! You're worrying far too much. Please relax. You still have time for all that. Except Keith will know exactly what you mean by your actions, and I see no wrong in that."_ _ _

__Today though, she approaches Keith and delicately takes both his hands. "Feeling under the weather a little?" she remarks, not unkindly._ _

__Keith thinks about denying it, at first, then he sniffs and figures that he probably looks like crap anyway._ _

__"Come on. Let me make you a warm tea. You'll be in tip-top shape in no time." And all know it’s a lie, but it doesn’t matter. There's no reason for anyone to blow out of proportion whatever ails him, and she sets the example, she figures, by acting like it's all fine._ _

__"Thanks, that'd be great." Keith answers, smiling at her. Pidge pats him empathetically on the back. "As long as you cough in your elbow..." She teases a little bit. He scoffs, and starts heading for the kitchen, where he supposes Shiro is. He waves at Lance in greetings on his way. The Cuban answers with a friendly, “hey”, but doesn't seek out interaction any more than that._ _

__And Shiro... is still in the kitchen, because of some show of restraint upon hearing the door open, and Pidge screaming Keith's name. When he sees him, his immediate reaction is to have his eyes soften, and a smile adorns his lips. But it's short-lived, and he soon moves over to him, concern etched into his expression._ _

__"Hey- how are you feeling?" he asks, eyes roaming the boy._ _

__Keith tucks his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie when he sees Shiro. He likes how soft the man looks right before his expression turns worried._ _

__"Alright," he gives a small smile. He's not really lying. Emotionally he feels great. Physically, he feels like crap. If he bends down and lowers his head, his sinuses threaten to explode, same if he moves too fast. "You?" he asks back._ _

__"Energized. Rested. I'll give you all the credit. But..." And he moves in closer now, voice lowering. Allura's behind himself, putting water to boil. "Did you catch what I had...?" It's a tiny whisper. A worried one. He was so certain they'd been very careful. And he can vouch for how uncomfortable/pained Keith must feel right now, if that's the case._ _

__"... maybe..." the smaller boy answers, obviously reluctantly. He looks away. He really wants to lean against Shiro and spend the rest of the night there. "Might be a mix. My lab partner kept coughing everywhere." He grimaces._ _

__“If tea isn't enough, I can get some chicken noodle soup started for you. And let me know if I should let Yorak to the sidelines a bit more for tonight," Shiro also adds, mentioning Keith’s character._ _

__Keith shakes his head, and immediately regrets the movement with a wince. "T's'all good. Don't change anything," he says. He’d feel bad if Shiro had to change plans for him._ _

__The DM keeps looking at Keith for a tiny moment and ends up nodding. Just barely._ _

__"Okay. But don't worry if you change your mind, alright?" he assures him, just in case. Except he's already softened, and he steps in, taking Keith in his arms, hands rubbing his back and shoulders in sturdy, comforting motions._ _

__Keith doesn't even think about the fact that their friends are close. He leans against Shiro, face pressing against him. If the guy were to let him go suddenly, he'd probably fall forward.  
There's a wave of protectiveness that crashes into Shiro, taking him by surprise when his heart starts beating faster, and his breath catches a little. So, he gives his friend a good squeeze too, just as Lance enters the kitchen, followed by Pidge, and—_ _

__"Huuuunk's heeeereee-- oh! Are we hugging Keith?" he asks, moving closer, and Shiro just chuckles._ _

__Hunk, following behind, does not even wait for an invitation to crash into Keith's back, arms also enveloping Shiro, to Lance's complaint that he also wants to be in the middle of the sandwich._ _

__Keith tenses only for a second when he hears his Cuban friend, but he doesn't stop leaning against Shiro. Then he feels a massive body behind him, and immediately identify their sweetest friend. He gives a breathy chuckle as Pidge decides to take their sides, hugging a bit less than half of Shiro and half of Hunk. "Group hug!" She exclaims. Lance joins in, as does Allura._ _

__In the midst of the group hug, lost to the lack of focus anyone has on him, Shiro takes a small moment to press his lips to the top of Keith's head. To breathe him in, even if briefly._ _

__"Alright..." Allura's voice comes up after a moment. "Who wants tea? And shall we get the game started, now the affection has been given out? I, for one, have been looking forward to today. I can't wait to start!"_ _

__The game starts, and Keith participates. Or, well, tries to. His character is much quieter than usual, mostly only speaking when directly addressed, when he really has some ideas. When he has to describe his actions and moves, he gives fewer details than accustomed._ _

__Even if he has told Shiro not to let Yorak on the sidelines, the DM still does, and it's secretly appreciated._ _

__Keith also tries not to cough too much. When he does, he pulls up the neck of his hoodie, so Pidge can't complain about germs. Once, he doesn't manage to keep it low and has to excuse himself to another room until the coughing fit passes. His face gets more and more flushed as the game keeps going._ _

__Shiro's focus has been decreasing with his rising worry for their friend. He can still keep the game going easily, but looking at Keith so much, without the guy looking back all the time, is disconcerting. Not to mention he feels as if he can see what he assumes is a migraine spreading in his skull, and finds himself blinking a lot in empathy._ _

__Finally, he calls the break. Pidge stirs, getting up to fetch something to eat, and Hunk goes to the bathroom. Allura and Lance decide to move their legs a bit and leave to take a walk in the corridor (suggestion of Allura). Keith... well, Keith just drops his head on the table, between his folded arms. Shiro gets up, and within a few seconds, both his hands are on his shoulders, giving him a soft massage. He doesn't dare press very hard in his state._ _

__"Advils, water, and rest? How does that sound?" he asks Keith, body leaned down a bit so his voice doesn't have to carry too far, or be too loud._ _

__Keith groans his approval. He raises one of his hands to his shoulder, reaching for Shiro's. The angle isn't ideal, but he still gets to squeeze, with very little strength, three of the man's fingers in appreciation._ _

__"Okay, don't move, I'll bring those over." Shiro glances around and leans further down to drop a kiss on the back of Keith's neck, as he pushes his hair to the side. He's only gone a minute, but he's back with some haste, sitting next to Keith, the water and the pills set in front of him. And now, he lightly touches the top of his thigh, just for some contact. Maybe to reassure himself._ _

__"Alright. Drink up. Then I'll bring you someplace comfortable, okay?"_ _

__Keith rises his head and shoots what he hopes looks like an appreciative little smile, and not a grimace. He takes the pills and downs the whole glass of water. His throat hurts. Swallowing water hurts. He hates everything. Except Shiro. Because Shiro's hand is on his thigh, and he'd really like to be able to appreciate it instead of wanting to die._ _

__He still joins their hands again, covering Shiro's with his. "Thank you." He croaks, and from the corner of his eyes he sees Pidge, who just came back, wince at his voice. He looks at the man, and tries smiling again. He's pretty sure he manages it._ _

__“…couch?" Keith suggests, with a pathetically weak voice. He glances at Pidge, and now Hunk, who returned as well. "Sorry guys..." They both shake their head, swearing it's perfectly fine for Keith to bail. Pidge takes note to probably tease him later, but not now._ _

__Takashi barely asks, before he's sliding his arms around Keith, and picking him up with ease. He's still delicate. Avoids movements that are too fast. Waits to be certain Keith's got some semblance of grip around him too. Except, as Shiro looks over at his couch, he bites down on his lower lip._ _

__"As much as I want to keep you close..." he begins, still looking over at it. "I'm afraid we're still going to make a lot of noise here. Plus there’s the light... can I offer you to my room?" He'll understand if Keith refuses. Maybe he'll be against the isolation. But it just feels as though rest is so crucial right now... Ugh he doesn't know what's best._ _

__"If you realize you can't sleep anyway, you can always come back near...?"  
Keith's hold on Shiro is just his hands vaguely gripping at his shirt. He could pretty much sleep everywhere at this point. In Shiro's arms. On the couch, even with the noise and lights. But the idea of being in a close, dark room, away from the noise, sounds really good. _ _

__"Okay… but don't wanna keep you from sleeping. Wake me up after the game?" He suggests, almost already half asleep._ _

__"Yes, of course," Shiro tells him simply, with no intention of dislodging Keith from his bed when he'll get into it, since having the other guy there will not keep him awake. And with the way Keith's dozing off (that's a good sign), a complicated reply would have gone over his head._ _

__When he slides him under his blankets, tucking him in, it's all in the dark. Takashi could swear by his breathing that Keith's already asleep. But he still takes a moment to brush his hair to the side. To lean down, and press a kiss on his cheek, with a wish for him to sleep well. He shuts the door behind himself when he comes back out of his room, ready to carry on with the second half of their night._ _

__Keith is still a little bit aware of what's happening. He'll surely smile about it later. For now, sleeping sounds like a great solution to get away from the pain. He has to breathe with his mouth, because of his stuffed nose, and will definitely end up drooling on Shiro's pillow. Charming._ _

__

__When Shiro comes back to the table, Lance and Allura are back and seated. Pidge is grinning devilishly at the man. "So... princess-carrying Keith to the couch?" She teases._ _

__"Actually, to his bed." Allura mentions very casually, as she picks up some chips into their common bowl. Pidge gives a suggestive whistle._ _

__Okay. So. Turns out it doesn't only take Keith to get Shiro flustered. It takes the boy being the subject of a discussion too. Like this one. And Shiro is really doing his best to stay casual about it. "He'll be more comfortable. You all saw how bad he looked."_ _

__"Pretty sure he was still able to walk." Pidge pushes a little bit more, but she's smiling. "But it's okay. It was cute," she grins at him, with a lot of untold words. Like. how it puts the previous hug between Shiro and Keith in perspective. And the little worried glances their DM has been sending in their companion's direction._ _

__"I think it's really nice of you to lend him your bed. He'll sleep better there than on the couch with all the noise." Hunk rationalizes, with a gentle smile._ _

__"Very chivalrous." Pidge concedes.  
Shiro kind of wants to give in. To smile and to let himself blush. To spill all of the beans to his best friends. But he has to try something at least once, to see the effect of it. "Piiidge--" he warns, tone somewhat severe._ _

__"Alright alright!" She huffs, and crosses her arms. She doesn't know Shiro's limit about those things. Not like Allura. So she stops pushing for now, but this is not over. Just maybe over for the remaining of the game._ _

__

__Which ends… really late. It doesn't really matter, none of them have school in the morning. Well, some of them work, but not very early._ _

__“Sweet dreams Shiro” Pidge says before leaving, with an exaggerated wink._ _

__They all leave. Keith is fast asleep by the time Shiro walks into his room. There is something amazing about finding Keith in his bed, after a tiring, yet epic night, changing next to him, and having him not even stir awake, as if he were used to this. And then, at last, sliding into bed, and not finding himself alone there-- having Keith, of all people... yeah._ _

__The boy is snoring, probably due to his clogged up nose. It isn’t constant, and it is part of the reason Keith had told his friend to wake him up so he’d go sleep on the couch. He knew he would be loud and restless._ _

__Indeed, about an hour after Shiro joined him, he wakes up with the pressing urge to cough and blow his nose. Knowing he can’t do either quietly, he sits up. He doesn’t even know where the tissues are… so he gets up, trying not to grunt, and heads for the bathroom. Toilet paper can do._ _

__He finally coughs once he hopes to be out of Shiro’s ears, and takes a few minutes to quench his thirst, drinking directly from the sink. When he gets out of the bathroom, a bunch of toilet paper in his hand, for future use, he hesitates. He doesn't even know what time it is, nor if he should go back to Shiro's room, or settle on the couch._ _

__Keith doesn't need to know. Shiro finds him, and disheveled like he never is, makes an appearance. A little snoring never bothered him, but now, of course, Takashi doesn't just stay asleep. He isn't used to movement in his home at night._ _

__"Hey," he croaks out, rubbing at his eyes, before he takes a look at Keith, and takes longer than usual to assess what's before him. He finally thinks he catches on, though: "Please come back to bed. I don't think I'll sleep again if you don't."_ _

__"But I woke you up..." Keith protests, with his tired, grating voice. He feels bad. Also, Shiro looks adorable, with his tousled hair. Short hair makes the cutest bed hair, definitely._ _

__"Yeah, because you left," Shiro counters, absolutely convinced he is making sense. Therefore... "The solution is for you to come back. Ah-- did you need anything first, though? How's your fever...? Your head?" And he walks over, doing much what Keith did the first time he showed up. He steps into his personal space, to lean down and gently touch their foreheads together. He’s glad to notice Keith’s skin is not feverishly hot._ _

__With the deem light of emanating from the bathroom, Shiro notices a blush rising on the boy’s cheeks._ _

__"M-maybe Advils? And do you have something for the throat? Like a thing I could suck on... Erh... like a pill?" He asks, with an eloquent sniff._ _

___"Do you have something I can suck on"_ is a sentence that single-handedly K.O.s Shiro. And for a small moment, his eyes go wide a little. He doesn't hear the rest of the guy's words after that, but he puts two and two together easily. _ _

__"Uhh- Yeah! Yeah, I do," he swallows, chastising himself for thinking so... Ahem. Anyway. His places a hand on his friend's shoulder, as he guides him over to the bathroom. "Are you sleepy...? I'll give you syrup if you think you'll pass out... but I'll give you a cough drop if you're going to stay up long enough not to choke on it in your sleep," he says, as he easily finds the medicine he knows will help Keith the most._ _

__"Both. Both sounds good," the sick boy answers, because yes he's sleepy, but he doesn't trust syrup to do the deal._ _

__Once back inside the bathroom, Shiro's hand falls to the small of Keith's back, just briefly, before removing itself. He does short work of preparing water and syrup for the other, letting him take his shot of strong medicine. Keith cringes as he swallows it. He never liked the taste._ _

__The taller man pops a cough drop out of its package. He knows it will numb his friend’s throat, at least a little bit. This one, he waves before Keith. "You're staying awake until it's all melted, got it? I'll try to find a way to help..."_ _

__Keith sighs. "Yes, Daddy." He almost says Mommy, but since Shiro is a guy, well... It comes out like this. Then he realizes how it sounds, and tries very hard not to look embarrassed._ _

__Shiro's breath catches at the word. He's sure to be blushing something dreadful, but he pretends Keith will be too tired to notice. God. Okay. This is fine. No internal crisis happening. No curiosity making him wonder if being called that again, but on purpose, would recreate the effect it just had on him. Which is to say... no effect at all. Aside from surprise. That pleasant tug at his gut... that was just violently poignant surprise. He's so distraught that it takes him a moment to start putting everything back in its place, but he does, eventually, thanks to Keith speaking again._ _

__“You shouldn't lose too much sleep over me..." Keith mumbles, as he takes the cough drop and moves it in his mouth. He glances up at Shiro. Is that a blush on his face?_ _

__"I'll lose just the right amount. And anyway... we get to sleep in tomorrow," he smiles, wanting the expression to be gentle._ _

__Keith is too tired to analyze the situation any further. He blinks, and hums noncommittally as they exit the bathroom. This time, he doesn’t hesitate, and heads for his host’s bedroom._ _

__Shiro lets Keith slide into bed first. Wants to watch where he chooses to lie down, and how covered up he likes being. He really wants to tuck him in properly, but he's also getting in there, so... He joins in, invading any personal space the other guy might've hoped for. It seems there isn't a part of him that doesn't seek out a little contact with the guy. His knee is against him, as well as his knuckles, right against his chest..._ _

__Keith doesn’t mind at all. He dares taking his friend’s hand in is. The cough drop clangs against his teeth as he moves it in his mouth._ _

__"How's your focus right now...?" Takashi asks._ _

__"Sleepy. I wanna sleep. I promise I won't choke on it. 'm sure I won't. I don't choke on things. Plus, that'd be a lame way to die." Keith mumbles, sniffing and clearing his throat._ _

__"No-" In a slight panic, hoping to hell he's even a little bit correct about the effect of his lips on Keith's skin, Shiro locks them briefly, and gently against the boy's chin. Or he aims there, anyway. He gets his lower lip. Right there, softly caught between his, tasting of syrup and a spicy sort of honey... His hand, though caught in Keith's, dislodges itself to spread onto his chest... palm flat, fingers curled up... He moves away, but just barely._ _

__"Just five minutes. Then you can throw it away. Last five minutes, and I'll let you sleep."_ _

__Keith’s tongue stops moving the cough drop around when Shiro's lips get on his chin. He freezes altogether. Had his nose not been blocked, he would have inhaled sharply. But now, the only thing he can do, is make a throaty whine when Shiro mouths at his lower lip._ _

__"No kisses! I'm all gross. Don't get another cold or I'll never forgive you," he threatens, pulling away a little bit._ _

__Shiro’s lips lower on his chin. He's smiling._ _

__"I'm pretty sure I'm immune to the cold I gave you," he teases. "But noted. No more kisses..." And he makes a valiant effort to sound pained and not amused, as he nuzzles his neck, his hand rubbing slow and small circles onto Keith's chest._ _

__He almost tells Shiro to stop touching him, because he's so not used to be touched like that, that his body might react a little bit too much. He focuses of his cough drop and headache, because he can't muster the strength to do that. Shiro’s breath is warm against his neck, and his hand feels big and gentle on his chest._ _

__Shiro must sense the slight shift in his composure, because said hand slow to a still. He keeps it where it is, at least. It's just enough intimate that he's keeping himself flustered too. He does try his luck, when he leans in closer to the guy, to press his lips on his neck, where he'd been pressing his nose before. "I swear to God, the second we're both feeling all right--" he groans, sounding impatient._ _

__"God, Takashi." Keith exhales, in a mix between a breathy laughter and a whine. He still has a hard time believing Shiro wants him too. It's incredible._ _

__The breathy laughter isn't a good idea with an itchy throat, and it makes him cough, so he pulls away from Shiro a little bit to hide his mouth in the collar of his hoodie._ _

__"Yeah? Tell me wants gonna happen when we're both feeling alright?" He prods, shamelessly, with an awfully croaky voice._ _

__Shiro gasps, inhaling for much longer than is necessary. Then he laughs, as he rises up a little, to win some leverage on Keith, and to look down at him. He isn't sure what it is about only having the bedside light on that softens his features. He feels like melting down again._ _

__"Keith Kogane!! You are shameless! Worse than me!" he smiles broadly, and it's really hard not to lean down and kiss him. "But for one..." And his hand finds the boy again, except it's on his jaw now... and the tip of his thumb lightly strokes his lower lip. "I can't wait to kiss you properly. You better clear up your schedule. I'll take care of mine. And then... I want a date where we actually get to talk... so I can get to know you a bit better without Allura playing wing-woman. And then after a few dates, it'll eventually snap in my head that I haven't officially asked you to be my boyfriend, so I will, and then we'll eventually tell the gang and Pidge will be sooo damn cocky."_ _

__Keith listens, heart racing, grinning at the man's every word. He's pretty sure he can feel his heartbeat in his head but that's a detail._ _

__"I like that. I really like that. After a few dates, uh? And what about Pidge?" he questions._ _

__"Oh uh--" Shiro falters a bit, but he's still smiling, if embarrassed. "She uhh... she saw right through me. I thought I had it together but. Apparently, my concern tonight was super obvious." He doesn't seem bothered. Just... shy._ _

__"Aw. You shouldn't have been concerned~" is Keith's first answer, with a half-tired smile._ _

__"You did carry me to your room in front of Hunk and her, right?" a mix between a chuckle and a cough rises out of his throat, and he hides in his collar once more._ _

__He knows they're not in the 1800s and no one dies from colds, but Shiro's expression turns concerned anyway. It's the part where he doesn't like hearing the guy in any sort of pain that sucks. But while his hand retreats for a short moment, it returns, once his fit is over. Settles on his jaw again and strokes it slowly._ _

__"Yeah," he chuckles, voice low. "I couldn't help it. I think I've wanted to find out if I could carry you since I saw you ride Hunk's back into my living room a month ago."_ _

__"Of course you could. Look at you." Keith answers, smiling, willing himself not to chuckle this time._ _

__"I know!! I knew- but I had to do it to be satisfied, you know?" he smiles, still. His hand wraps itself on his neck. And he just lets his eyes flicker from spot to spot on the other. His eyes. His hairline. His chin. His lips-- but just briefly. His ear. His neck.... his eyes again... And his hand keeps on with tiny motions. Sliding down on his shoulder, thumb stroking his skin._ _

__"How's the cough drop?"_ _

__"I don't feel my throat as much? Which is nice. Thanks."_ _

__"Okay," he hums, hand still slowly working in soothing motions. "If you want to spit it out and sleep, we can do that now. I'm satisfied with your state. Kind of."_ _

__"Hmm. Low standards, uh?" Keith teases, and makes himself chuckle again. And stops, because no, he doesn't want to cough more._ _

__"Low standards if your meaning is that I want you to sleep and get better soon, yeah." Shiro's eyebrows are lifted a little, and his hand withdraws from Keith's neck. But it's soon on his forehead, where he swipes his hair aside, and leans down to press a kiss on it. "And also maybe cuddle."_ _

__"We can't cuddle if I still have the cough drop?" Keith asks, complaining. He is tired, to be honest, but he likes the taste of the little pill and how it makes his throat a hundred times less itchy._ _

__"If you promise not to fall asleep..." Shiro pouts a little, unconvinced._ _

__"It will just melt, if I fall asleep! No big deal..."_ _

__"Hmm-hm," Shiro nods, even less convinced. "Or fall out of your mouth and stick in your hair while you sleep. That'll make for a real long shower tomorrow," he laughs, actually amused with the idea. "You can keep it... but I'm going to really suck and not let you sleep," he mocks a mischievous smile, and drops a real quick kiss on the tip of Keith's nose._ _

__Keith sticks his tongue out. "You're the worse. I could just cut my hair." He suggests, flicking Shiro's chest. It's a bad and too tired flicking to be efficient and it doesn't snap at all._ _

__Shiro just catches the hand. Easy. "Okay... a bit more in favor of you sleeping with something in your mouth... keep going..." he smirks._ _

__"You want me to cut my hair?" Keith asks, surprised._ _

__"No! I mean. Listen. I would not be against seeing more of your entire face. And let's face it. You'd look hot with short hair too. But I really like your hair..." And as he says that, his hand strokes into it, and secures a place for itself in the locks. "So no. I do not want you to cut your hair. But if you do it one day, I'll-- well- okay, not that my opinion must matter. But I'm just stating. For the record. I'll love that too… now I'm gonna stop talking!"_ _

__Keith smiles at the face of his adorable friend. "Duly noted," he says, truthfully. "For seeing more of his face, I could just tie my hair, y'know."_ _

__"Okay!" he happily exclaims, and that seems to be all the approval he'll give._ _

__Keith snorts at Shiro's enthusiasm, and shifts a little bit closer. The cough drop is getting smaller in his mouth. "Alright, now that this is settled, wanna cuddle and sleep?" he asks, right before he blurts out: " Wait."_ _

__And he turns on himself, extend his arm towards the tissue box, grabs one and blows his nose unceremoniously. God, it feels like he's losing energy with each blowing. Maybe the tissue is a leech or something. The pressure at the interior corner of his eyes hurt. Damn sinuses. Once he's done, he throws the sullied tissue out of the bed (he'll get them tomorrow) and turns back to Shiro._ _

__The man shifts to cradle him closely, arms enclosing themselves around his slight form. "Feel at ease to break free to cough or blow your nose... but I'm trusting you to come right back here," Shiro says, as he presses Keith against his chest. It feels massive next to how much smaller Keith is... and he won't lie, he's living for that._ _

__"Hnnng, I'd die here." Keith mumbles against Shiro. Then he pauses. "I mean-" _I really love your chest and I want to die suffocating against it or between your pecs._ "I could do that for days." A more reasonable answer._ _

__Shiro's whole form seems to shake with his laughter, and still he refuses to let go, capturing Keith in his mirth._ _

__"You're not making any sense. I give you leave to fall asleep," he tells him, with what he considers one last kiss for the night, right on top of his head._ _

__Keith's cheeks are burning, but fortunately Shiro can't see. He doesn't protest. "You better sleep too..." Keith mentions, as he closes his eyes._ _

__"Of course," he says, and it's not a lie. Though he does stretch out a little to reach the light, and click it shut, before he's doing his current favorite thing again: Just... picking Keith into his arms and pulling him close. Which. Okay. But maybe the guy had a point. Shiro isn't sure he'll fall asleep right away with his heart beating like it is. But he will. Eventually, he will._ _

__Keith ends up falling asleep pretty fast, and starts snoring again._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every chapter is bigger than the previous one. I have no chill whatsoever ajsdhkasdsaj.  
> I updated the tags! These boys are ridiculous.  
> Sorry about the mistakes, still no beta ;-;


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Hunk.

Keith wakes up to find Shiro holding him against his chest. The need to go to the bathroom overcomes his will to stay there, as he tells himself he can just come back right after. Within less than three minutes, he's back in Shiro's arms. 

He's feeling better. His nose still feels big, and his headache is still there, but overall, he doesn't feel like utter crap anymore. So, when he snuggles his way back under the sheets, against Shiro, he closes his eyes and relaxes. 

A few minutes later, Keith witnesses the awakening of his friend, and he loves how the man's muscles slowly come to life, one after the other.

Shiro stirs awake to a Keith who is still pressed up against his chest. This has the immediate effect of giving him butterflies, and for a moment, he's too shocked to do much of anything but breathe funny.

When he assesses the other guy's breathing, he manages to tell he is already awake. Might even have gone out of bed and is back without the taller one noticing. 

"Hey-- g'morning-" he mumbles, arms securing the spot Keith has made himself against him by hugging him. Keith likes it. 

"How are you feeling...?" is Takashi’s first question. Then the immediate follow-up: "Sleep okay...?"

Keith smiles lazily. "Better than yesterday. Still not ideal, but better,“ he answers the first question, then the second: "And yeah. You're warm. I like it."

Shiro's heart skips a beat, and he grins widely. The moment after, he's rolling onto his back, Keith very much still caught in his arms, and so rolling with him. He doesn't stop when the other guy is on top of him. He keeps moving until Keith has ended up on the other side, and Takashi has leverage once more, and is looking down on him from a semi-elevated position. "Hey," he says, arms in either side of Keith.

Keith lets himself be handled with a light-hearted chuckle. He looks up at Shiro, still grinning. "Good morning, handsome. Did you just do that to show off the size of your bed? 'cause you wouldn't have been able to do that on mine." Damn his single bed.

"Oh! Yep. Yes absolutely. Not because you just randomly made me uncommonly giddy. Nothing to do with that. Uh-huh," he grins right back, and then laughs, his chest and shoulders shaking from it. His head dips down, and he rests his forehead on Keith's, eyes closing for a few seconds. "What so you have planned today...?" he asks.

Keith gently rubs his nose against Shiro, in soft, careless motion.  
“Working at eleven. So, in about…” he reluctantly pulls away from Shiro, to grab the man’s phone (closer, since Takashi made them switch sides). 

“Two hours. And I have to go back to my place to grab my uniform,” he grimaces. Shiro frowns. 

“You’re sure you should go…? You look a bit better, but your voice is still…” Shiro trails off, looking for appropriate words, as he leans in to kiss the crown of his friend’s head.

“As melodious as the cawing of a half-strangled crow?” Keith suggests, and Shiro immediately chuckles against his head. 

“I’ll be fine.” Plus, even if Keith rarely talks about money issues, they both know he needs his salary to keep up with rent and his student debt. So Shiro doesn’t push too much. 

“I trust you,” the taller man whispers and when he pulls away from him, Keith sees the softest smile on his lips, and feels his heart melts in a puddle of affection.

 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 

Keith- _sorry for yesterday everyone_

Pidge- _*Kissing emoji**Kissing emoji* *Kissing emoji* ❤ ❤ ❤_

Keith- _... thanks?_

Pidge- _no- i mean, I'm obviously referring to /something/_

Hunk- _She means she’s referring to how she loves you Keith and how much it is okay that you slept through the night because you needed it and we all want you to get better ♡_

Allura- _No worries Keith! I'm glad we had you for the first part! Shiro's rolls for Yorak sucked, we missed you_

Keith- _Hunk ure the best. you deserve a free donut. I work this afternoon if you wanna grab one :')_

Keith- _also dammit Shiro._

Hunk- _You work this afternoon? O: I never say no to free donuts but r you sure its a good idea ): ?_

Keith- _yes man dont worry they never care about that stuff as long as I don’t cough in them ya know_

Pidge- _no he meant you working, dumbass._

Keith- _oh, yeah, im feeling better than yesterday_

Allura- _we need proof._

Pidge- _yeah._

Keith- _?_

Pidge- _take a selfie u coward_

Keith groans. Shiro is in the shower (or was? The water has stopped). He takes one. He's not looking at the camera, obviously, but toward the windows, head slightly tilted in a lazy way. 

Keith- _[Picture sent]_

Pidge- _pay up bitches_

Allura- _Literally no one bet against you Pidge. We all agreed Keith would still be at Shiro's._

Keith- _wow i didnt sneak out during the night, surprise surprise._

Pidge- _y'all are no fun_

Hunk- _You do look a little bit better! But still tired ): are you sure you should go to work?_

Pidge- _no but real question here wheres Shiro?_

Keith- _in the shower_

Pidge- _*multiple droplet emojis*_

Keith- _...?_

Pidge- _oh come on i went PG there._

Shiro comes out of the shower in nothing else than sweatpants, and a towel which he is vigorously rubbing at his hair. 

"Hey! Should have more hot water in less than fifteen minutes. But you can call dibs to the bathroom till then. I'm all done," he calls out to Keith, as he walks back inside his room. He’s doing it on purpose. Staying half-naked, chest bare and still wet, pants loosely hanging off his waist... 

Keith is sitting on his bed, leaning against two pillows, still half under the sheets. He’s on his phone, but his focus immediately changes when Shiro makes an appearance. His grip around his mobile device loosens. With little sound, it falls on the bedsheets, as Keith stares at Shiro, eyes slightly widened. His lips are parted, and he doesn’t make as sound. 

He cannot stop looking. 

Blood rushes to his face, and he feels like a goddamn meme of gay helplessness. Shiro's shoulders, abs, pecs- oh god his pecs. He imagines himself grabbing them, and pressing his face all over this ridiculously defined torso. There’s also the vertical line of dark hair under Shiro’s navel, that disappear under the towel… Oh God.

He has to remember to breathe. It comes out sharply. There's a moment of silent, and then Keith starts moving, grabbing his phone back, and getting on his feet. 

"I'll-- let you change," he blurts out, crimson, his voice a mix of croaky from his cold, and high from, well, everything else. He walks right past Shiro, getting out of the bedroom, trying really hard not to think about his developing boner. As soon as he’s in the bathroom, he opens the group chat once again, in an impulse.

Keith- _jfc im so gay_

And he closes it. 

Pidge- _*Eggplant emoji* *Droplets emoji* Here's the non-PG version that comes with the statement_

Allura- _Shiro's out of the shower?_

No answer.

Shiro doesn't get changed, not immediately. He flops down on the bed, right where Keith had been just before, and he finds his own phone, taking it out and looking for any updates. 

It doesn't take him long at all to find a few very interesting ones. 

Shiro- _Shiro is out of the shower, and aLSO IN THIS GROUPCHAT KEITH! Come tell me I'm hot to my face!! And after the show I put on... ):_

He writes that, but he's memorizing the small "jfc im so gay", and holding his phone to his chest as he grins widely. He shouldn't say too much in this chat...

Allura- _Lmao Shiro_

Pidge- _omfg_

Hunk- _wow_

Pidge- _I can't-- I DON'T KNOW IF YOURE MESSING WITH US OR IF THIS IS SERIOUS DAMMIT SHIRO_

Allura- _How unfortunate._

Pidge- _and ofc Keith has disappeared *smirking emoji*..._

Shiro- Oh shit I should have disappeared same time as him to keep you guys on your toes, lmao. Don't worry though I'll make sure he's in top shape for his shift. As in, I'll treat him real nice (': ;) 

Hunk- _We know you will <3_

Pidge- _We know you will *sets of 3 smirking emojis*_

 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 

Shiro eventually gets dressed before Keith comes out of the bathroom. When the latter does, he’s, to Shiro’s disappointment, not displaying his body. However, the fact that he’s wearing his overly large clothes is a consolation. 

As expected, Keith has to leave soon after that, and neither of them mentions the group chat comments. 

 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 

Hunk, as promised, shows up at Keith's work during his shift. He's got the biggest smile plastered on his face, and if possible at all, it widens even further when he spots Keith. The only thing that hadn't been mentioned is how Shiro's there with him. He's smiling too, but the expression is much more reserved. Almost shy. And it's a streak he's having right now, because a few days ago, he swore Keith was the only one to have seen that expression on him. 

"Just checking up on you," is all he replies when the other asks him if he ever does anything. His assumption that he mustn't is a fair one, seeing how the tallest of the group takes every opportunity he has to see him, and right now, this tendency is taking time off of his other occupations. It doesn't matter. Those things do not cross his mind at all, in fact. It's even obvious to anyone who would take the time to notice his body language when approaching Keith. The way he is constantly turned towards him, and with how he leans into his space a little bit when he talks to him... he's being carelessly obvious. It's the same now. When Hunk claims his free donut, and Shiro politely asks for a coffee, he does so while leaning ever so slightly over the counter that separates them.

Keith loves the improvised visit. His smile speaks for itself, really. And he can't stop smiling even as he makes Shiro's coffee, the corner of his lips are twisted upward. He finds himself humming and immediately stops, because _come on_. 

He gives the biggest, tastiest donut to Hunk: one he knows for sure the boy likes. Then before giving Shiro his coffee, he asks, lightly: "Which one would you like?" He gestures towards the display.

There's no hesitation to Shiro accepting the offer. He looks at Keith in mild surprise, but it quickly registers with him that it's the other guy's pleasure to be offering this to him, and so he cannot imagine himself rejecting the sweet. 

"Vanilla... glazed," he chooses carefully, after having eyed the display for a few seconds. "Thank you, Keith." The smaller man is already wrapping the chosen donut and handing it to Shiro. 

“You’re very welcome.”

Behind him, Hunk goes: "Hey! Have you had your break yet? We can hang around till then and keep you company when you do take it!"

"I haven't. If you're willing to hang around for thirty minutes, I'm all yours."

Shiro blinks and frowns at the choice of words. Keith, noticing the change of expression, raises his eyebrows in a silent question, not really understand why- Oh? Is this…- ? He blushes, but he can't really tell Shiro 'Silly, I'm yours of course' in front of Hunk, so he just smiles sheepishly.

This seems to satisfy Shiro for the time being. His expression softens back up a bit, with a smile offered back at the boy. At least he caught on. But he'll make him say it out loud later, when it's just the two of them. 

"See you in half an hour, then?" Hunk goes, feigning absolute obliviousness, even though Shiro pretty much told him all about his crush and how it's been solidifying at an alarming rate in the last few days.

"Yeah!" Keith agrees, with enthusiasm. Then he goes back to work, where his next customer is waiting.

 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 

About ten minutes later, there's no line, and Keith is about to go clean the tables, when another customer walks in. He dutifully goes back to his post, behind the counter, and the newcomer grins at him. 

Keith’s expression turns carefully neutral. Oh. Yeah. _That_ customer.

"Hey Keith! How's my favorite, prettiest barista?" The lanky guy asks, as he leans against the counter. 

"Good, thanks, what will you be taking today?" Keith immediately asks, mastering a polite smile. 

"Your phone number." The guy immediately answers with a wink.

Keith keeps a straight face. “We don’t serve that here,” he answers.  
It makes the customer laugh, as if he’s just told the funniest joke of the month. 

"Aaalright. Grand cappuccino, please." The guy asks, and Keith nods, a little bit stiffly. He turns around, right after the guy paid, and starts doing his order, back facing the customer. 

The guy keeps staring at him with a little smile. It grows wider when Keith drops something ad has to bend down to get it back. No doubt he’s appreciating the view a little too much. 

When Keith turns back, with the cappuccino, the guy doesn't take it immediately. 

Unfortunately, there's no one else in line. "When do you finish? I can take you somewhere real fancy~" The guy suggests, his voice lowering a little bit. 

Shiro and Hunk are deep in the conversation of his character's arc. It's the one they're playing around right now, and Shiro wants to make sure he understands the family properly for when the group meets the lot. It's why neither of them notice the clingy customer, at first. With his back to the scene, Takashi isn't even the one to realize. What he sees is Hunk squinting his eyes in disapproval at something behind him, and he turns, curious. Or well... he's curious at first. 

He sees red when he catches that last line the guy throws at their friend, and he's up before he even knows what he's going to do. He knows Keith enough to understand from his posture that his friend is not liking the attention. It's probably good that he missed everything else inappropriate that happened before this bit. Still. 

He storms over, grabs the stranger's drink from Keith's outstretched hand, and shoves it against the customer's chest.

"Hey, buddy. Maybe he can't outright send you to hell because of the uniform he's wearing, and because his common sense tells him his job is worth more than putting you in your place-- but that doesn't mean you can take advantage of it." He's got a few inches on the guy, and Shiro feels all the importance of that difference, for a change. He usually doesn't care much. 

Beside both men, Keith’s eyes widen. 

"Maybe you'll catch a decent guy the day you start treating guys decently. But this one?" Shiro gestures to Keith with his chin, as he pushes the customer backward a little bit. When he next speaks, his voice is seething. It's cold, and deliberate. "He's way out of your league."

Well. Keith has never seen Takashi Shirogane being this rude to someone. Well, he’s right, so maybe it’s not _that_ rude? Though the customer’s constipated expression tells otherwise. 

Keith stares at his soon-to-be boyfriend with a shameless mix of admiration and embarrassment. But the nice kind of embarrassment. There's even the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Chill dude. Calm down, jeez." The guy takes a step back, raising his hands in defense, even if he's taken the cup. He doesn't look at Keith, but he keeps talking. "There's nothing wrong with a lil' bit of flirting.”

Shiro lets go of the guy, not feeling like he's even close to calming down. 

"Of course there isn't," Shiro smiles amicably, though his voice retains that coolness to it. 

"Up until you can't catch a hint, and start being gross, you entitled fuck. Go get some behavioral classes or something, you're a bit lacking in basic human decency." He knows he's going at it a bit hard. He's not blind to how it can come off. But at the same time, he's holding himself back. He could monologue at this stranger until he left out of boredom, mostly because he probably wouldn't get half the jabs Shiro could throw his way.

The guy's frown deepens, and his face is starting to take a dangerous shade of red. His whole posture his tense. It's obvious his pride is having a hard time handling the blows. 

"Jesus, asshole, how is this even of your business? I do my thing, you do yours, no one asked for your opinion." His voice, as opposed to Shiro's, is not calm, and is rising in intensity.

"Guys... " Keith starts, in a silent warning, because the scene has taken the attention of all the other customers now. 

Shiro shoots a sorry look Keith's way, while half-hoping he won't catch his eye. He never behaves like this. He likely will not again. He's just too far in to back down now, he feels. He soon turns his attention back to the customer, his voice a low hiss.

"Right. Sorry. Forgot to mention Keith is spoken for. So-- huh. Guess it is my business. Now we can either take this outside, or you can leave."

The guy's lips are turned in a sneer, but it's quite obvious to everyone watching that he isn't sure what is the best course of action. 

Keith is holding his breath too, more stress by this than he should. At this point, and with the asshole’s expression, he wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to hit Shiro, and that’s what worries him. 

Fortunately, the customer only scoffs, like the whole conversation was nonsense, and he turns on his heels. Before getting out, he unceremoniously throws the coffee backwards. The whole grand Cappucino splatters on the floor. 

"What the fuck." Keith breathes out, annoyed and frustrated. Part of him is, however, glad that this is over. He looks up at Shiro. He has... mixed feelings about the whole thing. The majority of them makes him want to jump on Shiro to kiss him breathless, as he’d press his whole body against his. But they're still on opposite sides of the counter. 

"I'll get the mop,” he sighs before turning back, heading for the back store.

He is back a minute later with a rolling bucket and the long handed tool. Meanwhile, his colleague comes back from his lunch break, and takes his place behind the counter. 

Of course, the first sight that greets Keith is Shiro, crouching down, trying to clean up the mess with a handful of napkins. Of course. 

"Hey." Keith says, softly, as he rolls the mop closer to his friend. " It's alright, it'll be cleaned up in a minute," he affirms, with a sniff.

Shiro’s eyes lift up to meet his, and he gives a sorry excuse for a smile. "Ahh- yeah. I kind of knew I wouldn't help much but... this is also kind of symbolic. I'm really sorry, Keith..."  
He obviously means it with every fiber of his being. Yet when he stands up, the few wet napkins dripping pathetically from between his fingers, the movement is effortless as ever, and he stands tall anyway. Likely because he's still tensed from the encounter. 

"I would have punched him..." he murmurs to the floor. "I almost did." And then he looks towards where Hunk is still sitting. "We can talk about this later. After your shift, or... when you're well, if you like." 

He wants to talk now. So badly. He flicks his eyes back to Keith. "You'll have to keep my jealousy in check, apparently. God." And if he doesn't say it out loud again, it's still obvious as ever how apologetic he is.

Keith shakes his head, as he starts mopping the floor. "It's alright. Don't be sorry. You didn't know he would do that," he says, shooting a small smile up at the man, "but thanks for not punching him, it would've been... more complicated, with the incident report and all." He grimaces. 

His swiping the floor coincidentally brings him closer to Shiro. His voice is lower when he speaks again, for his soon-to-be boyfriend ears only. 

"You were super hot though," he mumbles, glancing up half a second. "If we'd been in a movie, I would've dragged you in a closet to make out." He adds, cheeks pink.

Takashi's heart skips several beats, and then keeps on doing that until his chest is pulled taut and he can't breathe. Or he breathes, but it's all funny. The glance Keith throws his way, along with how adorable his pink cheeks are... 

"You're lucky you're sick," he grumbles exasperatedly. "Or I'd do some horribly cheesy PDA right now and just- yeah. You're lucky." He laughs then, bewildered, and rakes his hand through his hair, efficiently floofing it up in passing. Oh God, he really wants to kiss Keith. For a few seconds, his eyes linger on him. On his hair and his eyes and his lips and... he smiles again. Briefly. His heart is beating so hard against his ribs. 

Keith's heart flutters at those words. He would very much like some PDA. But, well, yeah. He's still sick. And he’s in the middle of a shift. From the corner of his eyes, he can see his coworker staring at him with a very amused and knowing expression. 

Great. 

"Also I'm holding all these gross napkins so I can't touch you right now. So... where's the bathroom...?" Shiro asks, sobering as he looks around the place.

"Right in the corner," he gives a half smile, pointing at said bathroom. "But you'd better put them in the garbage instead. Don't clog the toilet. Please," he teases.

"I just want to wash my hands!" Shiro half-shrieks, scandalized, but he's laughing as he parts with Keith.

Keith goes back behind the counter, chuckling. His coworker is still staring at him. 

"What?" Keith asks, almost defensively. 

"What was that, Kogane?" The girl asks, very amused. 

"None of your business." 

"You blushed like a maiden, and you were strangely close to him. Physically. Is he your boyfriend or something?"

"Still none of your business, Nyma." Keith answers, bluntly. 

"Boooring." Keith tsks, and someone else enters the coffee, so they both start working again.

 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 

The time for his break finally comes, so Keith heads to his friends with his sandwich. He drops right next to Shiro on the bench seat, a bit too close to him. "Hey." He greets them both, smiling.

For Shiro, there’s not such thing as being too close. His hand finds Keith’s thigh under the table, and he keeps it there, comfortable. 

"Hey!" the two friends call back at him, all smiles themselves. 

"Thanks for the snack man," Hunk says again, ignoring the proximity so obviously displayed in front of him, and going way around the subject of the earlier... disagreement he witnessed. He's wise enough not to be the first one to bring it up, that's all. 

There's a short silence that falls though, as everyone sort of contemplates what to talk about as Keith starts on his sandwich. 

"I'd tell you about our conversation... but it's about the game and it'd be unfair if you knew more than the others," Shiro says, congratulating himself on remaining still, even if he wants to lean on the other guy.

Keith also wants to lean against Shiro but he assumes eating his sandwich right next to the man's ear would be a little bit unpleasant. Plus, they still haven't told their friends, so yeah, none of that yet. He likes Shiro's hand on his thigh though, and parts his thighs a little bit more to have his presses against the man's. 

"Doesn't Hunk know more than the others, though?" he raises an eyebrow.

"About his own character, yes," Shiro chuckles lightly.

“Ahh, damn.” 

"Just like the rest of you guys!" He throws their friend a look, where he sits in front of them, and Hunk is looking at them with this benevolent gaze. Which... as the oldest guy of the group, Shiro feels he shouldn't need, but... it's so appreciated, right now. 

"Hey, Keith, uh..." Takashi starts.

"Hmm?" He answers, mouthful of sandwich.

Shiro secures the press of his palm against Keith's thigh, swallowing before he speaks. "I told Hunk. Right before we came in," he begins vaguely, even though in is mind, it's super clear what he's talking about, since he's been thinking of little else. 

Hunk laughs, in front of them. "About how he feels about you. Not much more. But I'm gueeessing there's something going on here. I'll hold my tongue though, don't worry," he says, to another grateful smile from Shiro.

As if on cue, a red hue colors Keith's cheeks. He smiles, lips closed around a sandwich bite, which he swallows to be able to speak. 

"There is something," he feels the need to confirm, letting go of his sandwich in order to lean back, and against Shiro a little bit. "Thanks, Hunk." The bulkier man grins at them. 

"So... before you ask," Keith starts, addressing his future boyfriend (totally actual boyfriend, in his heart). 

"About what happened before. The guy was a regular, and he tipped well. But he was an annoying asshole, so I'm glad you got rid of him."

"Alright. I'm glad to hear that," Shiro allows, even if it's circumstantial that he did alright by interfering this time. And just like that, he turns and leans a little toward Keith too, to kiss the top of his head. 

Hunk beams at them way too hard, and it pulls a chuckle out of Shiro, when he notices. "Don't worry-- I won't be gross during the games," he promises.

He probably won’t. He’ll do his best, really.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They kiss. A lot.

It seems impossible to make it work, at first. It feels like it takes them everything they've got to catch a glimpse of each other, even if they just spent a handful of days together in a short amount of time, right before. If one has a moment, the other has stuffed some appointment or some amount of work to finish during it. They soon realize they don't quite have got this tandem thing down, but if anything, it makes them laugh. And maybe... appreciate what they managed the week before. 

Anyway, they've both got a clear Sunday, and a strong will to see the other. It's especially been nagging at Shiro's consciousness since he got the _hey I'm feeling better text_

And the last thing to clear up seems to be: 

Shiro- _Want to sleep over on Saturday night? Even if your day ends late, that's okay. We can have breakfast together Sunday morning, that way._

Keith- _Are you booty-calling me already? I'd like to have dinner first, like real gentlemen  
jk Ill be there at 22h, with my donuts and coffee aroma :') _

Shiro- _You're killing me._

It takes a moment for Shiro to write and send even those few words. Then he drops his phone to his chest and rubs his eyes for a disbelieving moment, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. The rest follows much quicker: 

Shiro- _But please, you know sex with me is going to be amazing. ;) Although it can definitely wait, because I also happen to want it to be meaningful and special. ... I'll jerk off privately in the meanwhile._

There is nothing he can blame his words on. No alcohol, no fatigue... he thinks he just enjoys the thrill it sends all the way into the tips of his fingers. And also the terror of self-sabotaging. He suspects he's a bit masochistic. But he won't know the line if he doesn't test it a little, will he... even if it does raise the hair at the back of his neck in anticipation.

Keith groans loudly, and turn on his bed to drown the sound in his pillow. 

Keith- _/youre/ killing me._

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

During his Saturday shit, before going to his friend/boyfriend's house, he thinks a lot.  
Does he need to bring condoms? He’s pretty sure they are not going to have sex, really, but he if it happens naturally, he’d be mad not to have planned it. 

Does Shiro want to have sex? He stops the train of thoughts right there. They haven’t even kissed yet, dammit!  
How are Shiro’s kisses going to feel like? Does he prefer lips kisses or tongue kisses?  
Does he prefer them soft, or rough? 

He’s reminded to stop thinking so much when he ends up doing the wrong order three times in a row for three different customers. Oops. 

⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Keith knocks on Shiro’s door at 22h10. He's a little bit nervous, and feels silly to be, but really, he can’t help it. 

There's a moment of silence from inside, before loud clanging is heard, as well as a somewhat muffled swear. Then the door flings open to a breathless, if beaming Shiro. Keith soon gets to see how there's nothing less than the coat hanger down on the floor, along with everything that'd been on it now scattered. Shiro gestures the other inside, right as he gets to his knees to pick everything up. 

The scene takes Keith off-guard, and he can feel himself relaxing, as he chuckles and gets in.

"Sorry about this, I'll have a place for you to hang your coat in no time-" Shiro informs him. "How was your day?"

"No problem. I can throw it on the floor too." Keith answers the coat part. "It was fine. Socially draining, though. We have this new girl at work? And she speaks none stop. If it was only that, I guess I could mute her mentally, but she asks a lot of questions. And apparently ignoring people is rude, so..." He gives a little shrug, not daring mentioning his messed-up orders. 

"Oh no..." Shiro pauses in his rummaging, lifting his eyes up, to maybe find Keith. He's smiling gently. "So, on a scale of one to ten, now, how exhausted are you?" It's conversational, and as he finishes the sentence, he's back to picking stuff up, soon getting back on his feet to finish tidying up.

"I won't have any deep philosophical conversation with you tonight, if that's what you're asking." Keith half answers, with a smile. Then he gestures toward the fallen hanger. "What were you up to?"

The question catches Shiro in a bashful expression. And as he puts the coat hanger back upward, with everything back on it, his hand only leaves it to connect with the back of his neck where he rubs a little. He isn't looking at Keith, and there might be a faint flush creeping up his neck. He feels hot. 

" 'Was rushing to the door. Excited to see a certain someone, I think." And now, his hand lowers back to his side. Slowly. He glances at his friend and finds a smile. 

Ok, that's cute. Keith snorts elegantly at Shiro's confession, as he puts his coat on the hanger.

"So... you're not sick anymore." Takashi says, and it's not a question. Or, if it is, it's rhetorical. He's just buying himself a few seconds. 

Keith’s heart starts hammering in his chest. He really wishes he could be 100% relaxed, like he usually is when he visits Shiro, but he really can't help the thrill in his chest. He feels his cheeks reddening, and if he's not mistaken, Shiro's skin is flushed as well. 

"I'm not… and you're not either,” he points out, with a little smile. 

"Okay," Shiro's smile widens shortly. It's not that it falters, after. It's that he softens again, his expression sobering despite the red rising to his cheeks too. 

He feels light as he takes a step to move into Keith's space. The same way the guy did with him when he came over to check up on him a few weeks ago. Except when his hands reach for him, it's to cup his cheeks. And when he leans closer, it isn't to connect their foreheads. There is no pause as he tilts his head, shuts his eyes, and touches his lips to Keith's. There's barely any pressure. He's just brushing them against the other guy's. Like a shy nudge that's more of a promise for more than any sort of proper kiss. But the way it almost tickles is heavenly. And then, he pushes his mouth on Keith's, thumbs stroking his cheeks gently. He keeps it soft, chaste. Moves his lips just a little. Just enough. And he takes his time to notice every little thing.  
Their breathing: how Keith’s is unsteady against his, like he wants to hold his breath but doesn’t quite manage it.  
Whether they are relaxed or tense: Keith starts with two seconds of stillness, then he moves his lips back, softly against his, and his whole body melts against Shiro’s.  
Where Keith's hands are: on his waist at first, before he wraps his arms around it to pull him closer, with more confidence.

Shiro loves every part of it.  
It still ends up feeling far too short. Yet he parts, his eyes opening again, almost unable to tear away from his friend's lips. "Been waiting to do that. Thank you."

"Why're you thanking me?" Keith asks, barely parting.

"For this," Shiro says quietly, with another chaste little press of lips on Keith's. He only parts to allow himself a happy little smile.

"Then I should thank you too, silly." Keith objects. He'd put his arms around Shiro's neck to pull him down, in another kiss, but with the man holding his face, this move cannot be done. All he can do is look up and hope Shiro will kiss him again, and for a little bit longer.

"Alright," Shiro agrees, nudging his nose on the side of Keith's, hands still very much in place. He cannot help how much he loves it. How small the guy feels in his grasp and how good it is to have his warm skin against his palms. 

He kisses him again. He parts his lips, mouths softly into this new kiss, but never deepens it.  
He loses himself in that moment, for a while. Of letting Keith reciprocate. Of having his eyes closed, and realizing how tired he is. He'd fall asleep kissing this boy, despite his racing heart. If he doesn't get moving, he just might... 

So this time, when he retreats, his hands also fall away. Although one of them grabs Keith's, so he can guide him into his place. He catches a glimpse of Keith’s smile, and grins right back. 

"Did you want a drink or a snack before bed? I'll just let you brush your teeth and stuff if not, though." And then bed. And sleep. With Keith ♡

Keith shakes his head, thanking him for the suggestion. Then Shiro has to let go of his hand, to let him prepare himself to sleep. Keith walks to the bathroom, rinses his face, brushes and teeth, and changes into an old red shirt and loose dark pajama pants. 

Shiro's already in his bed, having taken care of his own routine earlier. So when Keith enters his room, there's only one last dim light on, and the man is already beneath the covers. He sees the other, though, and pulls a corner of the blanket back in invitation, eyes on him.

The whole setting looks awfully comfortable, and Keith joins him without hesitation, sliding under the blanket.  
"I love your bed. It's way larger than mine."

"And warmer," Shiro grins, immediately lowering the blanket on Keith, to scoot over, and pull the guy to himself. There's only one type of hesitation to his movements, and it's from the novelty of doing this. It's from not being a hundred percent certain, even as he moves closer that this is what his friend wants too, and it's by some level of concern that they might end up uncomfortable, but won't admit it to one another, in the favor of proximity. All in all, it seems there's a lot of room for awkwardness. But as soon as it registers in his mind how docile Keith is, and that if he needs to move, he will, Shiro relaxes, and his movements become a bit more natural. He tucks Keith against his side, keeping an arm around him, and hopes the guy will wrap his limbs around him. 

Keith hums in contentment, and passes an arm around Shiro, and without thinking too much about it, insert his leg in between his boyfriend's, to snuggle closer. "Very warm," he confirms.

Shiro exhales contentedly. There's a smile lighting up his whole expression, even as he realizes he will need to put himself through some effort to stretch away even an inch from the other, at some point, and turn the light off. For now, though, there is just the one question lingering at the back of his mind. 

"How many kisses am I allowed before we actually sleep...?" His voice isn't so much sleepy, as it is relaxed.

"Hmmmm. Two long ones, five short ones." Keith answers, mostly on the fly, amused.

This time, the breath Shiro lets out is a huff. Okay. Okay. That's doable. He'd certainly have settled for maybe... twenty more, but he can manage this. 

He starts with his first kiss on Keith's forehead. His hand slides into his hair, and he parts before it becomes a 'long' one. His second is on his cheek. Right below his eye, which means he can feel his eyelashes on the tip of his nose. It makes him smile. And then he kisses his friend on the corner of his mouth, guiding his head's position (barely-- Keith lifts his chin toward him of his own accord) with his hand.

The next kiss is a long one. And he's going to take advantage of the broad term. He tilts his head as much as he can in his current position, just so his nose rests right next to the other man's, and he waits a few interminable seconds, before he leans in, closing the distance. His lips lock with Keith's, pressing against them comfortably. Keith tastes of toothpaste and lip balm, and Takashi almost breaks the kiss from smiling. But as long as he hasn't parted, he's sure he's still good, and so even through the smile, he keeps close, stays right against him. Then he's pressing in again. Jaw slack and tongue poking through to softly caress Keith's lower lip. It isn't long until he's gasping slightly, shifting on the bed, and pushing his tongue into the kiss, where he can run it along the inside of the other's lip. And boy, Shiro did say he was going to be the one doing the kissing, so Keith better comply.

Obviously, the younger man does, body already shivering from how much he’s _feeling_. He parts his lips, allowing his boyfriend to reach softer part of his mouth. He pokes his own tongue, gently meeting Shiro’s, as he shifts his body closer to his.

Takashi’s hand soon leaves Keith's face, in favor of sliding down to his hip. He firmly presses his palm on it, pulling the guy's waist to himself, and hoping it'll do something to help him relax. Especially with how his thumb keeps stroking slow curves into his shirt. He can feel how feverish the other is, and while it's a good sign, he also hopes he isn't stressing or anything.

This kiss keeps going for a moment, with the bigger guy getting carried away in it: he keeps his tongue feeling the inside of Keith's mouth for a while, meeting his, and then, after another moment, he's gnawing at his lower lip. Suckling at it and apparently refusing to let go, as he's hanging on by just his teeth, giving gentle and patient tugs. Keith's breathing gets faster, keeping up with the pace of his heartbeat. His hand in Shiro's back moves softly, and he keeps his lips parted, ever so open to deepening the kiss, as if he's never had enough.

Shiro is ready to press back into the kiss-- ready to push it into a soft direction again, when he gasps, and moves away all of a sudden. 

"Oh fuck! Keith. You're my boyfriend, right? Can we make that official? I love you and all, but I don't think I'd do any of this for anyone less than a boyfriend. Which happens to be what I want you to be."

For a moment, Keith is a little bit too startled to answer, and he just stares at Shiro. Then he starts giggling, butterflies in his stomach, as he leans his forehead against Shiro's torso. "God. Yeah. I'd love to be your boyfriend. And please be mine."

"I'm afraid it's a two-way thing, you didn't have much of a choice," he states, highly amused and happy, as he makes sure to give Keith a real good proper hug while he's hiding out into his chest. The next short kiss is on the top of his head. Maybe that'll coax him into coming back for the second long one. ... and coax him out of listening to his boyfriend's crazy-fast heartbeat.

Keith is grinning too, as he raises his head once again. Takashi is now officially his boyfriend. It sounds great. He gives a short little kiss on the man's neck.

Shiro moves his head back a little bit, giving access to Keith, who keeps trailing his lips all over the tender skin. He likes Shiro’s neck. He may be a little bit obsessed by how nice it is, and how much he loves kissing it. It's very warm, and soft- and a little bit less soft when he gets closer to his face because of the remnant of facial hair, but he still loves it. 

Takashi breaks the general with a low hum as Keith trails his lips and kisses him right under his jaw. He smiles and can’t really keep still. He's still got that hand- the one secured around Keith's waist... it gives him a new heartfelt squeeze. He absolutely refuses for this to stop. It feels so nice- just on the verge of tickling, yet it's so warm.

Keith obliges, gladly not interrupting his ministrations. He runs his lips lower on the man's neck, and finds himself poking at the skin with his tongue, when his mouth covers the skin. And he wonders if he can- He starts suckling at the skin.

There's an unexpected sharp twinge in the pit of Shiro's stomach when he does. He'd been following his progress with so much anticipation, that he swears his whole being has been reduced to that spot where Keith's lips met with his skin. The other unexpected thing is the breathy "Yes" that comes out in a sigh, no more than in a whisper. As if in answer, Keith starts suckling harder, and Shiro shifts, neck craning as he makes sure his boyfriend can do this comfortably. 

Keith trails his lips on the man's neck, sometimes nibbling, sometimes suckling, and other times only kissing. He likes how he can feel his boyfriend's heartbeat, and how lots of little sounds and reactions can be felt from there. He’s pretty sure he’s indulging a neck fetish he never realized he had. 

Shiro’s hand keeps pawing at Keith’s waist, pressing particularly hard into his flesh whenever the sensations are very stimulating. Of course, he cannot help any of the hitches in his breath. He tries. Gives it a go in some attempt at self-preservation, or not to show how much Keith is getting to him. He holds it, and only makes it shorter each time. It’s a few breaths before he’s eventually caught it enough to speak. But he’s still breathless. 

“Do these... count as kisses....?”

"Hmmm, yes, but these are mine, so they don't count in your series." Keith says, before pulling a little bit away, judging he's mouthed and marked his boyfriend's neck enough for the moment.

“I didn’t give you a number...” Shiro protests, still trying to get control back on his breath.

"You didn't." Keith confirms, with a teasing little smile.

"Aren't you going to ask for one?" This time, his tone is a little more snippy, but barely so. Like Keith isn't exactly going where he wants him to, yet he knows the guy must be playing on that, so his expression is building a bit of a pout, even if he still feels very red in the cheeks.

"You really want me to be restrained in my kisses?" He asks, almost mirroring Shiro's pouting expression.

"You restrained mine!" He's acting all hurt, but his hand is still very much on Keith's waist, and it now slides around it to reach his back. Oh God, he really likes this guy. Who else would even deal with bickering in bed before sleep? He can't help but break into a smile.

"You asked! Which was considerate because I'm tired of my day, but you're too pretty not to kiss." Keith is making sense in his head, really.

“Is that why you don’t want me to set a limit for you then...?” Shiro feels his smile curl into a grin, and he leans closer again, giving Keith his fifth short kiss on his lips. “Might’ve known. But hey, for the record, if you did ask, my limit was going to be around ten thousand...”

Keith is smiling against the little kiss, nodding to the man's first interrogation. "Ten thousand? Sounds reasonable, for tonight. Would you have counted them?"

“Yes,” Shiro lies, voice warm. “Every one of them. And then you’d have fallen asleep from how boring it would become. Like counting sheep. Oh! Haha- but you know what? I think I just found a really fun solution for whenever one of us gets insomnia.” They’re so warm, so well tucked in together, that it feels like there’s a protective bubble around them. Like nothing could reach the bed right now. Takashi’s persuaded he hasn’t felt this safe since scooting in between his parents after a nightmare.

"Counting kisses, uh? I like it. It's a good idea." Keith approves before letting out a deep and relaxed exhalation. His eyes have trouble staying open now and it doesn’t go unnoticed by his boyfriend. Therefore, Shiro’s very last kiss is to his forehead. He lets his lips linger where they press gently, even as he next speaks:

“Then it’s a plan. This... is a short kiss by the way. Cashing in the last long one for the next time we’re too tired not to have a limit.”

"Duly noted." Keith says, before shifting a little bit, and pressing his face against Shiro's neck, and closing his eyes, with a happy little hum.

“Good night, sweetheart.” He feels ready to burst with how happy he is. It’s just a sleepover. Keith better watch out for tomorrow, especially if Shiro remains in this blissful state.  
The younger man smiles against the man’s neck, and gives it a tender nuzzle.

"Good night, baby." The pet name feels just right on his tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand I'm going to end this here!  
> I might write more for this AU eventually, but don't expect a complicated plot if I do, it'll either be fluff or smut, or a mix of both (because have you seen these boys? There's no way they'll manage to keep their hands off each other).
> 
> Thank you for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fic, and it's based on a RP with thekatyariver. Let me know what you think! (If some sentences look weird, I blame my French-Canadian status. Though, I hope it's still pleasant to read.)
> 
> All chapters are unbeta-ed.
> 
> [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/PeculiarDork?s=09) (Some NSFW, be warned)  
> [ Tumblr ](http://thisshouldbegayer.tumblr.com) (No NSFW)


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